


cut from a different cloth

by peepy



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Brotherhood of Steel - Freeform, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Minutemen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Trauma, War Veteran Female Sole Survivor, Work In Progress, really slow burn, that by the time i'm done with this fic its going to be a toasty golden brown, that mostly focuses on the brotherhood up until blind betrayal, this burn is going to be so slow, this is basically a minutemen peaceful ending run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-29 22:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13936293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peepy/pseuds/peepy
Summary: Lucille Garcia woke up to a nightmare: a nuclear hellscape her military training never could've prepared her for. Her nephew Shaun -- the only family she has left -- is missing in post-apocalyptic Boston. In her search for him, she makes contact with the Brotherhood of Steel and meets Paladin Danse, commanding officer of Recon Squad Gladius.They are, quite literally, from two different worlds. However, there's an unprecedented connection between them... an odd sense of camaraderie Lucille can’t describe. The tired look in his eyes tells her a story she knew all too well: everyone had their own demons.And for a brief moment, she found herself wondering what his were.





	1. improvise

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i beat fo4 a while back, and found myself wanting to bring some of my adventures to life. i also find myself intrigued with danse's character... so a lot of the fic is going to focus on him. this fic begins at arcjet systems, with the sole survivor and danse, and should probably (hopefully) end around the explosion at cit ruins. 
> 
> hope to write out a lot of angst, friendship, and mutual pining ; ) thanks for reading-!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being hired to help Paladin Danse retrieve an item from Arcjet Systems, Lucille finds that the Commonwealth is slowly wearing her down.

**ARCJET SYSTEMS (October 30th, 2287)**

* * *

 

Lucille Garcia’s military training had its benefits; she still worked well under pressure, and was able to consistently maintain a cool, professional facade. However, she had no idea what was going through her head when she activated the rocket’s engines on that mission. All she saw was synth after synth… either she was delirious from dehydration, or her judgement took a day off.

It was probably a mix of both.

The room brightened up as she watched Paladin Danse become engulfed in flames, the robotic synths attacking him now nothing more than piles of ash. She froze in place, eyes wide with shock.

Oh god. Did… did she just kill him? That was manslaughter. An innocent man's life could have just ended because of her poor judgement. Those soldiers down by the police station were the only people who offered her a sound position in this new, crazy world she found herself in. And by accidentally killing their commanding officer, she completely destroyed that, didn’t she?

What would she say to them? Where would she go from there? Diamond City was a weak lead, and even then, there was no way she’d make it there by herself in her condition.

Dehydrated, exhausted... she had no idea what was safe in this world, and what wasn't. 

She didn’t have much more time to think, as the bright light from the engine’s flame dulled down. Her hands began to sweat as she saw the hunched over suit of power armor on the ground: the only thing not burnt to a crisp. She sprinted out of the control room and out to the soldier; she had to access his condition. Maybe he wasn’t dead? If her time in the military taught her one thing, it was that power armor was extremely resilient. It could have saved him.

Relief came as quick as it went. It didn’t matter if the power armor was okay. The heat from the outside was still enough to kill him.

Running up to the man, all she could say was, “Oh my god, are you okay?”

It took a moment for him to answer, but he did, much to Lucille’s immense relief. She didn’t even have time to think about how.... nearly impossible his survival was. “Got…” he managed to say. “Cooked by those flames, but thanks to my power armor I’m still in one piece.”

She let go of the breath she didn’t know she was holding. She didn’t just kill a man. Good to know.

“The important thing is that we’re still alive… and we have a way to get to the transmitter,” he then added, slowly getting up.

“You sure you’re okay?” Lucille pressed again, eyebrow raised. Even if the power armor saved him, that must have been one hell of a blow.

“I’m certain of it,” Danse merely answered, brushing off her concern. He stabilized himself and glanced over at the elevator. “Let’s go. We have a job to finish.”

  

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (October 30th, 2287)**

* * *

 

“You’re making her an Initiate?” Knight Rhys lowly muttered to Paladin Danse, features grim and distrusting. Lucille, along with Recon Squad Gladius, had finally reconvened at Cambridge Police Station after a successful trip to Arcjet Systems.

With the vault dweller’s help, the deep range transmitter was now in the Brotherhood’s hands, and ready for use. Danse had given her the rank of Initiate, something Rhys wasn’t too thrilled about. She had made numerous mistakes while on the job, and he had no idea who this person was. It was a huge risk, and he really couldn't comprehend why she was accepted so fast.

Scribe Haylen was tending to a few of Danse’s burns, a consequence of Lucille’s actions on the job. The vault dweller in question sat on one of the metal chairs they had set up in the lobby, and quietly waited for someone to address her, directly, before saying anything.

“Yes, and if you have a problem with that, you’ll just have to learn to accept it,” Danse replied. At this, Rhys simply let out a sigh, crossing his arms. He was never one to question authority.

Haylen tightened the bandage around Danse’s bared shoulder; his Brotherhood uniform was rolled down just enough for the Scribe to do her work. He noticeably flinched at the sudden movement.

“Sorry, sir,” she quickly said.

Danse shrugged this off. There was nothing to apologize about... she was only doing her job.

“And don’t think I forgot about you, rookie,” Haylen went on to say. She glanced back at Lucille, the comment directed at her. “I’ll get a look at you later. Need to make sure you’re all set to do some jobs for us.”

“Me?” Lucille asked. “I’m fine.”

“Sure doesn’t seem like it. You look like a ghost,” Haylen quipped, refocusing her attention on Danse’s burns.

Lucille remained quiet, as she knew Haylen was correct. She had barely eaten anything over the past few days; her diet consisted of a can of beans, some Dandy Boy Apples, and a flask of purified water Codsworth prepared for her before leaving Sanctuary.

If the large bugs and horribly mutated animals had anything to say about the current state of things, she was fairly hesitant to try any unknown food.

“You said you were from a vault, correct?” Danse suddenly asked, changing the topic.

“The suit’s a dead giveaway,” Rhys sneered. “Might as well be walking around with a huge target on your back.”

A quick, stern glance from Danse was enough to shut him up. Lucille shifted in her chair; she wasn’t quite sure how to respond. 

“Yes,” she answered. “I left a week ago.”

“Woah, wait,” Haylen said, pausing her work on the Paladin. She turned around to face Lucille. “A week ago? You’ve been fighting off ferals, synths, and everything else in between…” the Scribe trailed off, surprised. “And you’ve only been out of the vault for a week?”

“Well... I'm trained. I used to be a soldier,” Lucille elaborated. “Before… uh…”

“A soldier?” Danse asked, genuinely curious. “There’s no military out here I know of besides us.”

Lucille awkwardly shifted in her chair yet again. She was noticeably hesitant to answer, and for good reason. Three sets of eyes stared her down, eagerly awaiting an explanation. If there was another military force in the Commonwealth, they needed to know. However, Lucille wasn’t quite sure how receptive these guys would be to the truth. 

“The U.S. Military,” she finally blurted out. “108th Infantry Regiment.”

A painful silence clung to the air.

“Did I hear you correctly?” Danse simply asked, being the first to speak.

“Yes, sir,” Lucille responded.

Haylen and Danse uneasily glanced at each other. Rhys, however, just laughed, clearly unimpressed and somewhat amused by the vault dweller’s answer. He crossed his arms, and looked over at her condescendingly.

“Are you mad?” he incredulously asked. “The U.S. Military’s been gone for over two hundred years now.”

“I have an explanation,” Lucille calmly said, expecting this kind of response. “If you'd just let me-”

“Either you’re full of it, or you’re the most well preserved ghoul I’ve ever met,” he continued, cutting her off completely, the disbelief in his voice quite evident. The Knight scoffed and rolled his eyes. “In either case, you’re probably just high, just like every other lunatic in the Commonwealth.”

Lucille’s eyes narrowed in response. Jesus, what an asshole. She understood how crazy her claim must have sounded, but there was a time and a place for everything. Berating her before she was even given the chance to explain herself… she saw no logic in it.

“Sir,” Rhys said, now looking over at Danse. He appeared desperate for some kind of intervention, some common sense. “Don’t you see what I’m saying? She’s clearly-”

“That’s enough, Knight,” Danse firmly said. “And if you say one more word, I’ll write you up for disorderly conduct. Is that understood?”

A pause.

“Understood, sir,” Rhys said in response, biding his irritation. With a grunt, he stood straight up and walked out right of the room, disappearing off into the police station's hallway; holding his tongue would prove much easier that way.

After watching him leave the main lobby, Haylen glanced over at Lucille.

"Sorry about that," she apologetically said. "Rhys can be a bit... rash."

“Either way,” Danse said in an attempt to change the subject, gingerly pulling his uniform back over his bandaged shoulder. “I believe we have more important matters to discuss…” he trailed off. “Would you care to explain what you meant by… U.S. Military?”

With a sigh, Lucille crossed her arms. Where to begin?

“I came from Vault 111. Do you know where that is?” she asked, starting vague.

“Can’t say we do,” Danse admitted. “We’ve located a few other vaults in the area, but not 111.”

Lucille thought this over, and she couldn’t say she was too surprised. Their recon team was down four men; it would have been foolish to send anyone out that far, and Vault 111 was a day’s trip away.

“It’s up north, near Sanctuary,” she explained.

“Near Concord, right?” Haylen asked. “We’ve come across a few records on it, but not much.”

“Yeah... near Concord,” Lucille confirmed, voice dry. Her memories faded back to the Raiders who now resided in the area. They infested the worn down, dilapidated streets, hiding behind large slabs of concrete that had fallen from the buildings above. The last thing she excepted was to be greeted with a bullet whizzing past her face. Defending herself with only a 10mm Pistol was a challenge in itself. She made sure to get out of the area as soon as possible, and never looked back.

“Uh, I know this might... sound crazy, but Vault 111 was a cryo facility,” she went on to explain, hoping this information alone would offer enough of an explanation. “I didn't spend much time down there... well, conscious.”

The two thought over her words.

“Cryo facility…” Haylen trailed off. Within seconds, her eyes widened in realization. “Wait. Don’t tell me… were you? 

Lucille nodded her head. “I lived up in Sanctuary before the bombs fell,” she miserably explained; she had been bottling up her emotions on this for over a week. It felt impossible to remain as stoic as she had been, at least, now that she was talking about it.

“And I was frozen… for two hundred years." Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

“Is this true?” Paladin Danse asked, voice firm. "Because if not, we're going to encounter some serious problems."

Lucille faltered slightly. “No... no, it's true. I’m still trying to process everything myself. Seeing the everything like this... I understand if it changes your mind on allowing me in the Brotherhood,” she formally said, purposefully avoiding the divulgence of any more personal information. It wasn’t the time to get emotional, especially with people she just met.

Danse looked her over for a brief moment before continuing.

“No. I've decided to take you at your word. My offer still stands,” he finally said in response. In that moment, Lucille felt a huge weight come off her chest. This was, unfortunately, short lived. She froze upon hearing Danse speak up again.

"However," he tacked on. "I'm going to have Scribe Haylen conduct a brief medical examination on you. If she discovers that your vitals don't match the claims you've made, there will be consequences." A pause. "Am I understood?"

"Completely, sir."

Danse was almost surprised by how confident her response was. Absolutely no hesitation or doubt. If anything, it gave him further reason to believe her; only a seasoned soldier could utter those words with such ease and familiarity. He thought his next words over.

“Now... as I’m sure you can understand, this comes as a shock. Vault Tec had some of the best technology the old world had to offer… but I never would have guessed they perfected cryostasis.”

“This is an amazing opportunity, sir,” Haylen quietly said, turning to Danse. “Pre-War knowledge coming right from the source! And she isn't like any other ghoul who just forgets everything, it's still fresh in her mind..."

“Yes, I’m aware, Haylen." Danse leaned forward in his chair. “But first things first... were there any other survivors from Vault 111?” he asked. “There must have been someone to let you out.”

Lucille’s features visibly dropped. “No. I was the only one left. I don’t know who let me out.”

This felt like a lie, but technically, it was the truth. It was a play on wording; Shaun left the vault before she did. He was still out there, somewhere... and the thought made her chest tighten up. However, she didn’t think the existence of one infant really made that much of a difference to the Brotherhood. Now wasn't the time to mention such an issue.

Besides, if Shaun was truly out in the Commonwealth, under the care of a murderer... well... she didn't want to think about that.

“Oh,” Haylen simply said, having realized her previous statements were insensitive. “I’m so sorry.”

Lucille sighed, and glanced up at the two. “Thank you, but I’d rather not talk about it now, if possible,” she merely said.

“Understood,” Danse said, respecting her request. There would be time to discuss that more later. “Now Haylen, that brief medical examination?” he asked.

Haylen perked up at this. “Oh, right,” she said, looking over at Lucille. She got up, and began to walk out of the room. “If you could just follow me, that’d be great. It'll only take a few minutes.”

Lucille slowly nodded her head and followed.


	2. the first night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille finds that she has trouble sleeping. To her surprise, she isn't the only one.

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (October 31st, 2287)**

* * *

 

The police station was surprisingly quiet at night. No gunshots, no explosions, no creepy, irradiated bugs buzzing mere feet away from Lucille's ear. She inhaled deeply and sighed. It was nice. Peaceful, almost.

Earlier in the day, she had asked Paladin Danse why he decided to set up base at Cambridge Police Station. Now that she was spending her first night there, the answer he had given her seemed clear. It had good reinforcements, a lot of resources, and suitable high ground in the event they ever needed it.

In all honesty, the location was genius.

Lucille lied down on the sleeping bag she was given, staring up at the dark, cracked ceiling above her. She couldn’t sleep. Ever since she left that cryopod, it seemed to elude her. It wasn’t surprising, though. She had two hundred years to do that. Now… now she had enough energy and anxiety to last a lifetime. She lazily reached for her Pip-Boy and checked the date, its green glow highlighting her tired features. Halloween. A miserable sigh escaped her lips. She never got to celebrate Halloween with Shaun, did she?

Was he okay? Should she have told the Brotherhood about his existence? Panic overtook her body for a brief moment, and then left. She would have time for that later. Even if she did tell them, nothing could be done; they were down four men, and awaiting backup. They didn't have the resources to even look into it.

Lucille's thoughts soon drifted elsewhere. To that of her husband… her sister, both long gone. Nothing but memories of a lost time, burnt to ashes in a war no one wanted to fight. Would they be proud of her? Was she making the right decision with these Brotherhood soldiers?

She didn’t know. However, staying with them seemed like her only option at the moment. It was either working with them as an Initiate, with a roof over her head and allies to watch her back, or living alone at the Red Rocket in Lexington, fighting off ghouls and barely surviving to see another day.

And the soldiers didn’t seem too bad. She was relieved not everyone in the wasteland was insane, or murderous.

Scribe Haylen was nice; she offered thoughtful words, and seemed to be the only one who cared if she lived or died. She was also quite curious. A lot of questions about her Pre-War life. Lucille didn’t like answering those, though. Thinking about the past stung, like a sword to her stomach. Her life as a soldier was far from perfect... she was an angry, young woman; the world was going to shit, and she knew it. However, that reality was still _hers_. It was what she knew. And now it was gone.

She let out a sigh. Thinking about the past was dangerous, so she stopped. Her thoughts drifted back to the Brotherhood soldiers.

They weren’t all that bad, right? Well, that Knight, Rhys, kinda was. He was a jackass. He almost reminded Lucille of herself in her younger years... irrational, with a hair trigger temper. She mellowed out with age, and wondered if he would do the same. He seemed a bit younger than her, after all, so he had time.

Lucille knew to keep her distance. She didn’t feel like picking any more fights with him.

Before she could drift off more, sudden movement snapped Lucille from her thoughts and she jumped slightly, her eyes shifting over to the source of the noise. She heard footsteps coming from the side room, wood creaking with each step made.

A light then turned on, peeking beneath the gap in the doorway.

She immediately pretended to be asleep, pulling the sleeping bag’s cover over her face. The woman was in no mood to interact with anybody. The idea of making awkward small talk at this hour almost disturbed her.

Not to mention, she knew it was more than likely Paladin Danse making the noise. Both Rhys and Haylen were asleep besides her.

Lucille slowly peeked out of her sleeping bag, and her suspicions were soon confirmed; it was in fact the Paladin. He wore the orange Brotherhood uniform, per usual, though his appearance was noticeably disheveled. Uncombed brown hair, rolled up sleeves… an ungloved hand subconsciously rose to his shoulder, almost as if in pain.

Guilt hit the woman yet again; that was entirely her fault. She had no explanation for her actions at ArcJet Systems. However, she was determined to make sure it didn't happen again. She couldn’t let another lapse of judgement occur… especially when her new job was at risk.

Danse began digging through a footlocker near the lobby’s front desk. The distinct sound of clanking metal reached her ears. How odd. What was he doing awake at three in the morning? And what was he doing with those tools?

The old, red footlocker closed with a gentle clasp; it was obvious he was making an effort to remain quiet.

Paladin Danse, like both Haylen and Rhys, was a mystery to Lucille. However, what confused her the most about him was how accepting he was of her. She was a complete stranger. A vault dweller. He had no idea she was a soldier up until a few hours ago, and yet he sensed it within her, without a word being said.

Was it the way she walked? Talked? Did her time in the U.S. Military really have that much of an effect on her behavior? The thought was almost depressing.

Even though she almost burned him to a crisp, he still saw the potential in her. She supposed it was because he was desperate, with more than half of his team gone, but the thought still remained.

The sound of metal against metal reverberated from behind the front desk. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to pique her attention. Lucille poked her head up slightly, making sure to remain quiet as she did so.

Danse was working on repairs to his laser rifle. He was heavily engrossed in his work, wordlessly bent over the weapon in front of him; he didn't even notice the woman staring at him. Lucille found relief in knowing that she wasn’t the only one having trouble falling asleep. Everyone had their own demons she supposed, and for a brief moment, she found herself wondering what his were.

That thought left as soon as it came, and she decided to try dozing off once more. The idea of having awkward small talk with her CO at three in the morning brought a sense of dread to her mind; there was no way in hell she was about to let that happen.

Lucille shifted deeper underneath the cover, the sound of quiet, metallic clanking inevitably lulling her to sleep.


	3. days at cambridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille works as an Initiate for the Brotherhood of Steel.

**COLLEGE SQUARE (November 3rd, 2287)**

* * *

 

The faint smell of ozone sifted throughout College Square’s ruins. It almost brought Lucille back to her days in the army; smoldering piles of ash... bright red embers drifting off into the wind... Rhys had mentioned clearing out most of the ferals in the area, so she wasn’t too surprised. She could smell his work from a mile away.

Haylen was focused on a document in her hand: pre-war paperwork describing the location of some tech she wanted.

It was just a simple sweep of the area, according to Paladin Danse. Haylen was perfectly capable of defending herself, but he didn’t like the idea of sending out his only Scribe to fend off ferals alone. And so, with Rhys still on the mend, Lucille was sent to accompany her instead.

She didn’t particularly mind the company; it was always nice having someone else watch her back, and she assumed Haylen felt the same way.

It was cold out. The frigid, November air crept beneath Lucille's bones, making her shiver. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to stay warm, but was only somewhat successful. She would have to ask if they had any attire suited for cold weather back at the police station. Like gloves. Or a scarf.

That sounded heavenly.

The vault suit was insulated and kept Lucille fairly warm, but just barely. It was only a matter of time before she froze to death.

“It should be one of these two buildings,” Haylen announced, pointing a finger towards a ruined apartment complex down the street. It seemed as though there was a shop or two positioned on the ground level. Lucille couldn’t tell, exactly. The signs were worn out, and any semblance of a store was lost years ago.

“Understood. Any idea where to look?” Lucille asked, waiting for a response. Haylen seemed to think this over.

“The tech we’re looking for was used in the generators that powered these kinds of complexes,” she explained, her focus entirely on the document in her hand. It was obvious she was reading off of something, maybe a note she made.  “So in the basement,” she finally concluded.

“Okay." The woman had no idea what to expect in the basement of a two hundred year old apartment, but she assumed Haylen did.  “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Great,” she said with a smile. The Scribe tucked the document away into one of her pockets. “Then let’s go.”

The two women got right to work, scouring the ruins, and shooting any feral ghouls that dared cross their path. Lucille trailed closely behind Haylen, watching her back, and letting her search the complex as needed.

The vault dweller sighed, inspecting a nearby collapsed wall. Seeing the world she knew in shambles was horribly depressing. And to think, it only felt like a few weeks ago that she and Nate visited College Square to pick up a few job applications. She paused, and her thoughts inevitably drifted.

Nate… She still felt horribly empty without him. She missed his warm, hearty laugh, his comforting words...

Cruel memories of his lifeless eyes tainted her every thought. Lucille couldn’t forget, no matter how hard she tried. Her best friend, her lover… shot dead in cold blood. His life, gone, just like that.

She could still hear the murderer’s voice clear as day, rough against her eardrums like sandpaper....

“So, I think we need to go down one more level,” Haylen finally concluded, completely oblivious to Lucille’s inner torment. That was, completely oblivious until she turned around to face her. Lucille was staring at the ground, face blank. Numb, even. She was in obvious distress. 

“Initiate?” This seemed to snap the vault dweller out of it.

“What?” Lucille asked, almost dumbly. It was out of character for her. “Oh, sorry. I was just…”

“Are you okay?” Haylen then asked, her tone more gentle.

Lucille took a deep, shaky breath and then nodded. “Yeah,” she finally said, assuring Haylen, but mostly herself, that everything was fine. “Just thinking too much. Let’s keep going.”

The Scribe’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of torment the woman was going through. Waking up two hundred years in the future, only to find everything she knew torn to pieces? It was almost hard to believe. She didn’t know much about Initiate Garcia, though she did recall her mentioning being the only survivor of Vault 111.

Oh, the implications those words carried…

“Alright,” Haylen said to her. “Let’s go.”

“Understood,” Lucille then said, her voice firm and compliant. All trace of sorrow gone. At this, the Scribe only glanced over at her one last time before moving on.

The two women wordlessly got back to work.

Haylen began inspecting a nearby hallway, brushing away the dust that had collected on the shelf in front of her.

Meanwhile, Lucille bent over and gingerly picked up a large poster on the ground. It had caught her attention from across the room. She inspected it from top to bottom, the old paper feeling brittle, yet oddly flimsy, in her grasp. Her suspicions were then quickly confirmed. It was an advertisement for the coffee shop she and Nate used to perform at. In large, bold letters the poster promised good food and live entertainment.

She rolled her eyes. False advertising. The food was shit.

“What did you find, Garcia?” Haylen asked, snapping Lucille out of her thoughts. The Scribe approached her from behind, curiously looking over her shoulder.

“An old advertisement for a place I used to work at,” Lucille briefly explained. She made an effort not to let her thoughts linger again. “I played piano there.”

"You can play piano? That’s amazing.”

Lucille blinked, not quite sure how to respond. “Uh, yes. I can. Thank you."

“There aren’t many intact pianos around anymore, you know. So not a lot of people are able to learn it,” Haylen quickly explained. “That, and no one really has the time. We actually have one back at Headquarters, but a lot of its keys are missing.” 

The vault dweller thought this over, and she couldn’t say she was too surprised. Most people were focused on surviving, not making a living as some post-apocalyptic pianist. Though she wouldn’t admit it aloud, the thought of being the only pianist Haylen knew was horribly depressing. 

“Interesting,” Lucille only said.

Haylen awkwardly laughed at this. “It is,” she said. She then paused. “So what kind of music did you play?”

“What?”

“You know, did you play jazz? Or… something else?” Haylen then elaborated.

A slight smile adorned Lucille’s lips; talking about something she was passionate about took the pain of life away, if only for a little bit. “I played a lot of things,” she explained. “Though… I was always a fan of rock and roll,” the woman then added, her voice now warm and nostalgic.

“That’s awesome,” Haylen said with a wide grin. “I always loved listening to a few rock and roll songs back in D.C. too. On the radio.”

“You have good taste then,” Lucille lightly joked.

Haylen laughed heartily at this. “You should try telling that to the guys back at the station,” she then said, amused. “You don’t wanna know how many times I’ve fought with them over that.”

Lucille smiled at this; the thought of serious, career soldiers getting into petty arguments over music was almost comical.

Well, she wasn’t really one to talk. Lucille was incredibly stubborn when it came to that sort of thing. Faint memories of her sister, Roseline, surfaced for the first time in months. When they were younger, the two would always argue over the holotape player in their living room. Roseline insisted they play Johnny Cash; Lucille, stubborn as a mule, insisted otherwise. 

“I can imagine,” the vault dweller keenly said.

“You know,” Haylen began to say. “Diamond City Radio plays a few good songs. The host leaves a bit to be desired, but…”

“Diamond City Radio,” Lucille slowly repeated, mostly for her own benefit. “I’m pretty sure that’s the radio station I picked up back in Sanctuary. What is Diamond City, anyway?”

Lucille didn’t know much about the post-war Commonwealth, and during her travels through Concord and Lexington, she didn’t run into many friendly faces, so it was difficult to ask questions. Haylen didn’t seem too surprised by this, and was more than happy to answer.

“It’s a large settlement in The Fens,” Haylen explained. “In the old baseball stadium.”

Lucille paused. “Wait. So, you’re telling me people live in Fenway Park?”

“A lot of people, actually,” Haylen corrected. “I can tell you more about it later if you want.”

Although a bit dazed by that news, the vault dweller simply nodded her head in understanding. They didn’t have time to discuss the geography of post-war Boston; they had a job to do. Haylen gestured for Lucille to follow her down into the basement, where the generators were. This sweep would be over before they knew it.

“You have a radio on that Pip-boy, right?” Haylen suddenly asked, headed down the steps. “You should put it on.”

“I assumed that wasn’t allowed on a mission,” Lucille merely said.

“What Danse doesn’t know won’t kill him, Initiate,” the Scribe cheekily countered. “Besides, we already cleared out most of the ferals. Just gotta keep an eye out for any more stragglers.”

Lucille eyed her suspiciously for a brief moment, but soon reached for her Pip-boy. She wordlessly began to fiddle around with the device’s small, plastic knobs. Static filled the air, and within seconds, the familiar medley of Sixty Minute Man began to play throughout the apartment complex.

 

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (November 19th, 2287)**

* * *

    

> _Medical File GC-150I_
> 
> _Initiate Garcia_
> 
> _Patient suffered multiple lacerations to both legs from Feral Ghoul attack, most predominantly to left calf and thigh. Administered Stimpak meds to stimulate wound closure. Full recovery expected._  

Soft clicking came from the terminal Scribe Haylen was working at. Lucille sighed and closed her eyes; the sound was incredibly distracting. Either that, or her medication was making her antsy. It was probably both.

Lucille slowly lowered her leg from the chair it was propped up on, teeth grit and eyebrows furrowed. It hurt like hell.

Feral ghouls never ceased to horrify her. It was hard to believe they were human once. Those abominations had families, friends, and ambitions. And for what? To become brainless zombies that lived like animals, completely unaware of who they were? To become pitiful creatures that needed to be put out of their misery?

The vault dweller’s heart dropped. How many of her old friends… family… had become one of  _those_ things… The thought made her sick, and if she were being completely honest, it soiled her already tepid mood.

Funny enough, it appeared as though she wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Paladin Danse was pacing back and forth across the room, obviously deep in thought. Lucille swore she could see steam coming from his ears.

The police station was swarmed by feral ghouls earlier that morning, presumably from College Square Station, and unfortunately, Recon Squad Gladius didn’t come out of the confrontation unscathed. A feral tore through Lucille’s left leg, leaving her out of commission for most of the fight. Haylen had to disinfect and Stim the wound immediately. Because of her injuries, the vault dweller was taken off of long range field duty for a few days.

Even worse, their ammunition supply was running dangerously low, and Danse had to make sure everyone used their fusion cells sparingly, and only when needed.

Lucille assumed she could just use her 10mm pistol again, as there were plenty of bullets lying around the station she could use. She was more comfortable with a laser rifle, but refraining from using one would take some strain off of their supplies.

“We should look around the station later. See if we can find you something new to wear,” Haylen finally said, turning around in her chair. This caught Lucille’s attention. “That vault suit of yours is pretty beat up.”

Lucille idly glanced down at her injury. The initial lacerations were fairly long and deep, so it took a bit of work to get everything bandaged up. Her vault suit, however, now rolled up to her knee, had a few rips in it. At this point, it was difficult to see the outfit’s iconic blue hue; mud and dirt was caked right into the fabric.  
  
“Not to mention it’s gonna get you shot,” Rhys unhelpfully piped in. “You said you were a soldier. You should know that thing makes you a target.”  
  
“This 'thing' protects me from radiation,” Lucille corrected. Suddenly, she was aware of how naive she must have sounded. The mere thought of it frustrated her, and her face soon flushed red. “I know how… how much of a target this makes me. I tried camouflaging it the best I could, but…”

“Are you for real?” Rhys asked.

“Yes, I’m for real,” Lucille then replied, attempting to regain her composure. “Didn’t exactly know what to expect when I walked out of that vault.” And if she were being completely honest, she still didn’t. Whenever she thought things couldn’t get worse, the vault dweller would always learn something new.

They used bottle caps for currency. Cows were now called Brahmin, and they had two heads. Radiation storms were a thing. Giant bugs.

So, it was safe to say she had no idea what to expect when she stepped foot outside of that vault. For all she knew, the Commonwealth could have been completely wiped out, with no sign of life anywhere. The wasteland could have been completely uninhabitable.

And some days, she dryly thought, it definitely felt that way.

Rhys scoffed and crossed his arms. He knew replying was more trouble than it was worth, so he dropped the topic. Silence overcame the room for a brief moment, but was soon broken.

“Sir, do we have any extra uniforms?” Haylen asked Danse, changing the topic. 

The man didn’t seem too pleased to have been dragged into the conversation. He glanced over at Haylen and sighed, irritated.

“No,” he bluntly answered. “We don’t. Nothing that would fit her, anyway.”

Haylen leaned back into her chair, debating her options.

“You know, this would be a good time for a supply run…” she slowly began to say, not quite sure how the Paladin would respond to such a suggestion. He had already turned down her previous requests to go to Diamond City for supplies. She wasn’t too confident in her chances now, but maybe with Initiate Garcia in the picture, an extra soldier, Danse would finally approve of her request.

To the surprise of exactly no one, he didn’t.

“We’ve gone over this, Haylen." He crossed his arms. “It’s far too dangerous for a supply run. We’re down four men.”

“But now we’re up one,” Haylen countered, gesturing her arm toward Lucille. “And… we’re not going to last much longer without ammo.”

Upon being mentioned, Lucille uneasily glanced over at the two. She could see Danse biding his anger. The woman slowly slumped into her chair, dreading the result of this… unusually heated conversation.

“What will happen if more ferals attack the station? We’re running low on medical supplies too, I’m just worried about what will…”

“That’s enough, Haylen,” Danse abruptly said.

“But, Danse...”

“I said that's enough,” he then repeated, his voice firm. His expression grew dim, and Lucille could feel everyone in the room freeze. “I've made up my mind. No more supply runs until further notice, and that's the end of it.”

At this, Haylen merely stopped talking, and corrected herself. “Yes, sir.”

The thing is, Haylen was entirely correct, and Danse knew it. They were in desperate need of supplies, and College Square was slowly being drained of any resources it had left. Not that it had much to begin with. Raiders resided in the area and took everything in sight. They were running out of options, and fast. The Brotherhood had yet to confirm backup, and Danse knew they couldn’t afford to sit around and wait for more soldiers to arrive. That would take weeks. Months, even.

They had to do something… and he had no idea how.

Even with Initiate Garcia, their numbers were looking grim. Sending one of his soldiers to Diamond City, a few hours away on foot, would leave the police station vulnerable for too long. After all, safety was in numbers… right?

That wasn’t even considering his team’s condition. Initiate Garcia was wounded during their latest confrontation. Knight Rhys was still on the mend. All of this happened under his command. Two lives were put into immediate danger solely because of his poor decision making.

It frustrated him to no end. He was concerned... and most of all, angry. He had no idea what to think. This whole entire recon mission had gone to shit the second they stepped foot in the Commonwealth.

He had told Initiate Garcia of their situation on the way to ArcJet Systems. Despite everything, his team was in no position to retreat. Not only would that introduce numerous risks, but he was stubborn enough not to give up. Not yet. Not when Haylen found those mysterious energy readings that could lead to something… unprecedented.

Danse knew his team needed the supplies, yes, but he was short on options. And he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks again. He couldn't.

“Look, Haylen, we’re lacking viable options at the moment,” Danse then spoke up, his tone now calm. “You know that better than all of us.”

Haylen only nodded her head. “Yes, sir.”

Danse sighed. He had no idea what to do.

 

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (November 19th, 2287)**

* * *

  

“You have a funny accent, you know,” Haylen said, carefully inspecting the bandages on Lucille’s leg. This comment prompted a puzzled look from the vault dweller.

“Me?”  
  
“Yes, you,” Haylen confirmed, smiling. “You never really pronounce your ‘R’s. Like at the end of your sentences.”

The Scribe slowly began to take off the bandages covering Lucille’s wound; they were bloody from their initial application, and needed to be changed. The stench of copper flooded Lucille’s senses, making her head spin a little bit. What a mess.

The two of them were sitting at a small, wooden table set up in one of the station’s side rooms, and she had to admit, it was nice being away from the others for a little bit. It was quiet, and the vault dweller had some time to process her thoughts.

“Oh,” Lucille simply said in response. She hadn’t realized her accent stood out that much. “Well, I grew up in Boston.”

“I could figure out that much."

Lucille chuckled at this. A pause. “You know… are they still a thing? Boston accents, that is.”

“They are,” Haylen confirmed. “We’ve run into a few people from around here. Though your accent is the strongest I’ve heard yet.”

Lucille crossed her arms and thought this over for a moment. “Another reason for me to stick out like a sore thumb,” she finally quipped.

“Hey, don’t feel too bad about it." The scribe reached for a new roll of bandages, a slight smile forming on her lips. “I think it’s funny.”

Lucille narrowed her eyes in response.

“Okay, fine, I  _don’t_ think it'sfunny,” Haylen corrected, trying to hide her amusement. “Are you happy?”

“Very.”

At this, Haylen merely shook her head and got back to work. She slowly removed the bandage from Lucille’s leg. The vault dweller felt a chill go up her spine… her wounds were now completely exposed to the crisp, November air.

“Jeez, that ghoul really got you, huh?” Haylen spoke up. 

At this, Lucille gingerly glanced down at her leg. Her vault suit was rolled up high enough to completely expose her injuries, and they did not look pretty. The sight almost made her wince. The lacerations were beginning to heal over, thanks to Haylen’s quick work on the field, but they were still… fairly fresh and off putting. They trailed all the way up her calf, leaving most of the area an irritated, bright red.

Haylen let out a frustrated sigh as she dug through her supplies, the sound of glass and metal clanking with each movement.

“I really wish Danse would clear us for a supply run,” she muttered. “I’m running low on… ah, here…”

The Scribe pulled out a small canister. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be a shot of some sort. Lucille was never… medically inclined, so the woman only eyed her somewhat suspiciously.

“It’s an antibiotic. I don’t have much left,” Haylen sadly said. “But, I don’t want to take any risks with your leg.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine..."

“No,” she interjected. “You don’t understand… a wound like that is highly susceptible to infection. And that’s something I wouldn’t be able to treat properly.”

Lucille knew what Haylen was implying. If an infection was left untreated, it would mean certain death.

And death meant abandoning her search for Shaun. She could almost hear Roseline’s voice in her ear. Her last words… a promise between sisters to watch over her child, through better or through worse. And that was a promise she refused to break. Dying of infection in the wasteland was not an option. It put a strain on Recon Squad Gladius’ supplies, yes, but she assumed an able soldier was better than a dead one.

“... alright,” Lucille eventually said.

Within moments, Haylen finished preparing the syringe. She gently tapped the needle and glanced over at Lucille.

“Ready, Initiate?” she asked.

The woman in question simply nodded her head and held her arm out. She felt a tight pinch at the crook of her elbow… though the pain was nothing in comparison to what she felt in her leg.

Haylen pulled the needle away and swiftly wrapped gauze over her arm. As per protocol, she continued cleaning up the area to the best of her ability. The room grew quiet. Lucille wanted to ask her something, and was waiting for the right moment to speak up; she didn't want to distract Haylen from her work. So, she uneasily glanced around the room.... At Haylen. At the supplies. At her own leg. The vault dweller gathered up the nerve to finally break the silence.

“Scribe Haylen,” Lucille suddenly said. The Scribe glanced up, eyebrow raised.

“Yes?” 

“Can you tell me more about Diamond City? You said it was in Fenway Park.”

“Oh,” Haylen mouthed. “Yes. Well, at night, do you ever see the bright lights in the distance?”

Lucille had seen the lights many times. At night, she enjoyed sitting on the roof of the police station. Whether it be to repair her laser rifle, or to collect her thoughts, she always looked forward to her time alone. Not to mention, from up there, she had quite the view. The war destroyed everything, and she often found herself feeling nothing but contempt and disgust… but, even she had to admit, there was a certain kind of beauty to the rubble, to the crumbling skyline. The old world was gone. It was time to begin anew.

That wasn’t even brushing upon the stars…. so bright. She had never seen anything like it before.

And Diamond City in the distance, illuminating the skyline. It was almost enchanting. The lights gave her a sense of hope, something that was hard to come by since leaving Vault 111.

“I do,” Lucille muttered. “They’re pretty.”  However, it was obvious her thoughts were elsewhere.

Haylen simply eyed the woman before continuing. “That’s Diamond City. It’s about an hour’s trip from here. From what I hear it’s a huge settlement, with a marketplace and everything.” She then sighed. “What I would give to go for some supplies...”

“Would I be able to get some… information there?” Lucille suddenly asked, choosing her words carefully. Her interest in Diamond City was growing. Not only could Recon Squad Gladius resupply there, but… maybe she could get some leads on Shaun’s whereabouts. She was growing impatient. Reinforcements had yet to arrive, and each day she spent roaming the Commonwealth was one that left Shaun in the arms of that… murderer.

The chances of finding him grew slimmer by the day.

A voice in the back of her mind kept telling her Shaun was already dead, that whoever kidnapped him probably killed him ages ago. But… all she wanted was closure. She wanted _answers_. 

A new sense of determination overwhelmed her senses.

“Information?” Haylen asked. “What kind of information?”

“Information about this world, I guess,” Lucille bluffed.

Haylen paused for a moment before continuing. “I don’t see why not,” she said. “Though, if you need ‘information about this world’, you’d be better off asking us,” she then sternly added. “People who won’t take advantage of your naiveté.”

Lucille wanted to protest this, but soon recalled her encounter with Knight Rhys earlier that evening… their conversation about her vault suit. And Haylen was right. Lucille was completely naive about the world and she knew it.

“Understood,” Lucille slowly replied to Haylen. However, despite everything, the Scribe did give her the answers she wanted. A lot of people lived in Diamond City; it was the Commonwealth’s biggest settlement… she could easily get information there.

It was worth asking Danse about a supply run… and hopefully another voice (aside from Haylen’s) would convince him to allow it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm with late this chapter, sorry! school's been a buster. if you're reading this, thank you so much for the time!


	4. diamond city material

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille heads to Diamond City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chap should be out soon. thank you for reading!!

**THE FENS (December 2nd, 2287)**

* * *

 

With a large backpack hanging off her shoulders and a laser rifle in her grasp, Lucille walked through the ruins of Boston, keeping an eye out for any sort of threat… whether it was feral ghouls, irradiated bugs, or violent raiders… anything was fair game.

Paladin Danse had finally cleared Lucille for a supply run to Diamond City -- once her wounds healed, that was. It took a week for Haylen to clear her for long range field work, and by that point, Recon Squad Gladius was running dangerously low on supplies. They were on their last rations, and most of the team resorted to using ballistic weapons. Their stock of fusion cells was nearly depleted.

Lucille assumed Danse was growing desperate. To her surprise, it didn’t take much convincing for him to send the vault dweller on her way to Diamond City with a small bag of caps for trading.

He and Rhys had also briefed her on the various threats in the area. Things that she would probably see on her way there. There were raiders right below the bridge leading to Diamond City’s surrounding areas… they were to be avoided. Feral ghouls still resided within old buildings and alleyways; if they attacked, and it was highly likely that they would, she was to aim for their legs and cripple them as soon as possible. Normal business as always.

Haylen, who still couldn’t believe Lucille was walking around without a decent coat in December, managed to find her something new to wear. It was a Brotherhood bomber jacket. According to Haylen, it belonged to one of Recon Squad Gladius’ late members: Knight Keane.

Lucille felt bad about taking it, but Haylen assured her it was okay. She wanted the jacket go to good use, and having the thing collect dust at the police station was most certainly _not_ a good use. Keane would have been happy to see it aid the Brotherhood’s efforts in the Commonwealth once more.

And so, Lucille was sent off with one final word of advice from Paladin Danse: she was to keep her gun loaded and back guarded.

And that she did.

The trip to Diamond City was ominously quiet. She ran into a few feral ghouls, but they were nothing out of the ordinary. Just one or two stragglers crawling out from underneath a few nearby cars and trucks. Her laser rifle cut through them like butter.

Though, she had to be careful with her shots. Her fusion cell supply was severely limited.

Lucille found herself on edge the whole entire trip. It was safe to say she never liked traveling the Commonwealth alone. It introduced too many dangers, too many unknowns. However, relief soon washed over Lucille the moment she spotted a small wooden sign that read: Diamond City Ahead!

It appeared to be haphazardly written in white paint.

She continued along the path, her laser rifle loaded, safeties off... ready to fire at any given moment. Unfortunately for Lucille, that moment came sooner than later.

She was passing by an old apartment complex when she heard a gun fire. Almost immediately, she felt a bullet whiz right past her shoulder. It ripped a hole through her bomber jacket, miraculously avoiding any sort of contact with her skin. Lucille whipped her head over to the source of the noise… and soon wished she didn’t. The woman immediately felt nauseous.

Oh God. Were those… giant… green men? They were horrifying.

Before she could process her thoughts, something hard smacked against her stomach, completely knocking the wind out of her.

A stray shot from her laser rifle was fired, effectively alerting numerous people to her presence.

Lucille fell to the ground, her left arm taking most of the blow. The impact against the concrete was enough to make her whole body sore... she let out a groan, her head now spinning. Yeah… that would definitely hurt in the morning. It took the vault dweller a moment or two to evaluate the situation. 

“Hey you!” a gruff, masculine voice called out. Lucille’s head popped up at this. She looked around the area and finally spotted a man dressed like… an umpire?

“Huh?” 

“Look out!” he then forcefully yelled.

Lucille’s head swiftly turned back to the mutants. To her surprise, another one was headed her way, this time with a nailed baseball bat.

Fear overwhelmed her senses, and she began to desperately scoot away from the revolting creature, completely lost on what to do. Paladin Danse never told her about these things. Scribe Haylen, nor Knight Rhys, ever told her about these things. What the hell were they?

Green… Oddly human like… their muscles appeared to be growing out of control, barely contained underneath their infected skin. These creatures were positively revolting. It reminded her of Buffout overuse, but a million times worse.

“Move!” the man yelled at her again. At this, Lucille snapped to attention, and immediately got up, just narrowly dodging the mutant’s attack. She snatched her laser rifle up and sprinted over to the man, eyes wide open.

“What the hell are those?” she asked, out of breath.

“Are you serious?” he asked. “Look, I got no time to talk, we gotta-- ”

And before the man could finish, one of the mutants began to focus their fire on both him and Lucille. They ducked behind a nearby building, peeking out slightly to keep an eye on the scene.

“Look, Diamond City’s just up ahead, let me and the boys handle this,” the man quickly explained, aiming his pipe rifle towards the army of green mutants. “We got this covered.”

As if on cue, a small group of men, dressed in the exact same uniform as the man in front of her, began to jog towards the complex, weapons readied.

Lucille absolutely loathed feeling this useless. She was a soldier. She should have been able to handle this.

But… how on earth was she supposed to prepare for this? Giant green men? With giant green dogs? The wasteland had a sick sense of humor, and she didn’t find it too funny. Not at all.

The woman slowly backed away, the sound of gunfire and yelling fading as she distanced herself from the apartment complex. It was smart to leave anyway, right? She was low on ammo. She had to stay alive. It was no time to be picking fights with random creatures she encountered in the wasteland.

However, she couldn’t shake off that feeling of incompetence as she continued her trip towards Diamond City’s gates.

 

**DIAMOND CITY (December 2nd, 2287)**

* * *

 

Lucille stared up at the gates of Fenway Park, its large, metallic beams now rusty and in severe need of repair. Back in the day, this was probably her favorite place to be… watching baseball with friends and family, drinking an ice cold beer, getting into arguments with people next to you who accidentally spilled your ice cold beer….. Seeing the stadium in such disarray… Lucille could feel her heart drop.

She, however, managed to find some amusement out of the situation. If Nate was still around, Lucille would never hear the end of it. He was a Yankees fan… he’d get a huge kick out of seeing Fenway Park turned into some run down shanty town.

The great green wall, once known as the Red Sox’s home, was now Diamond City.

A few traders were set up nearby, fiddling around with the cargo on their Brahmin, digging through their bags of merchandise. Lucille, who was unsure of how to actually get  _in_ to Diamond City, waited around to see what the merchants would do. That way, she could easily follow their lead and slip inside.

Unfortunately for Lucille, that never happened. The merchants packed up their goods, and before she knew it, they were gone.

She let out a sigh, idly fiddling with the backpack strap on her shoulder. What would she do?

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of someone yelling. Lucille turned around to find the source of the noise. It was a young woman, seemingly in her twenties, shouting at a small, metallic intercom on the wall beside the stadium.

“Agh… You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan!” she exclaimed, gesturing her arms wildly. It was safe to say the woman was highly frustrated. She let out a scoff and crossed her arms, leaning in closer to the intercom. “I live here. You can’t just lock me out!”

Lucille could barely make out a response from the speakers. “I got orders not to let you in, Miss Piper.” It was a man speaking. Lucille found herself approaching the young woman to hear their conversation a bit better. “I’m sorry, I’m just doing my job.”

This woman, or Piper, as the man called her, almost laughed at his comment. “Just doing your job? Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it? Oh look! It’s the scary reporter!” She leaned in closer to the intercom. “Boo!”

Lucille admired this woman’s spunk, she had to admit that, but she wanted nothing to do with this argument. Maybe, just maybe, if Piper left, she would be able to talk to whoever was on the other side and get inside. It appeared as though the reporter had a… track record. And Lucille was a blank slate just looking to trade and get some information.

There would be no issues getting inside… right?

“I’m sorry, but Mayor McDonough’s really steamed, Piper,” the voice over the intercom eventually said. “Sayin’ that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city’s in a tizzy...”

Piper stomped her foot on the ground. “Stop playing around Danny, I’m standing out in the open here!” she yelled, completely fed up with the man on the speaker. Then a sigh of frustration.

To Lucille’s dismay, Piper directed her attention towards her. She quickly glanced around before leaning in a bit.

“Hey, you,” the reporter whispered. “You want to get into Diamond City, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m just-”

Piper immediately shushed Lucille. “Play along,” she quietly said, holding a hand up.

Lucille’s eyebrows furrowed at this. The woman crossed her arms and waited to see what would happen.

“What was that?” Piper loudly asked. “You said you’re a trader? Up from Quincy? And you have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked for a whole month?” she then continued, winking at Lucille.

Lucille wanted to protest this, and almost said something, but Piper continued speaking before she could.

“Wow! You hear that, Danny?” she called out, leaning back towards the intercom. “You gonna open the gate and let us in? Or… are you going to be the one talking to crazy Myrna about losing out on  _all_ of this supply?” Piper held her arms outward as if to emphasize just how much ‘supply’ Lucille had.

Lucille almost chuckled at this. Her ‘supply' consisted of a small bag of caps and some left over scrap from the police station.

“Fine! Geez, alright. No need to make it personal, Piper. Just a minute,” said the voice.

Low whirring was heard from the stadium’s gates, the sound of gears grinding and churning right above them. The whirring soon grew much louder and evolved into a rumble. The large, green gate slowly began to roll upwards, granting Lucille and Piper access to the city.

Small bits of dust and debris fell from above, and the vault dweller found herself backing up to avoid contact.

Piper chuckled, gently elbowing Lucille’s arm. “Better head inside before ole’ Danny catches onto the bluff,” she said with a smirk, walking towards the open gate with a noticeable air of confidence. Lucille wordlessly followed her inside.

A wave of nostalgia overwhelmed Lucille’s senses; the stadium’s entrance looked just like it did back in the day. It appeared to be run down, yes, but that was to be expected. The metallic beams supporting the ceiling’s infrastructure were rusted after years of neglect, and there were piles of debris strewn about the main lobby... Guess nobody in Diamond City liked to clean.

“Look, thanks for helping me in,” Lucille quietly said to Piper. “But, I should really get-”

“You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer!” a deep voice boomed, catching the attention of both Lucille and Piper. She glanced over and found an old, heavyset man approaching them, his face red with anger. Lucille's expression dropped. “The… the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I’ll have that printer scrapped for parts!” he furiously added, pointing an accusatory finger at Piper.

Piper, however, was undeterred. “Oh! Is that a statement, Mr. McDonough? Tyrant mayor shuts down press?”

Lucille exhaled. Oh boy.

“Why don’t we ask the newcomer?” she then continued, a smirk forming on her lips. Her eyes landed on Lucille. The vault dweller felt like being any place but there. “You support the news? ‘Cause the mayor’s threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster.”

“Look,” Lucille tried to say. “This really isn’t…”

“Oh,” the mayor quickly spoke up, relieved Lucille had little desire to say anything. “I didn’t mean to bring you into this argument, miss.”

At this, Piper merely rolled her eyes.

“No… no, no, no. You, miss, look like Diamond City material!” he then went on to say, holding his hands outward. Lucille, however, wasn’t too impressed by him. She was never one to fall for a quick, silver tongued man like that… never one to fall for honied words. “Welcome to the great green jewel of the Commonwealth! Safe. Happy. A fine place to come, spend your money, settle down…”

Except… Lucille had little desire to settle down. She needed supplies, she need information, and she needed to get back to the police station in one piece. She wanted to go.

“And don’t let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, all right?” McDonough continued, narrowing his eyes at Piper, who seemed thoroughly unbothered by his words.

“Uh, thanks...” Lucille simply said, trying to remain patient. “I’m sure it’s a great place.”

Piper snorted. “Yeah. Greatest house of cards in the Commonwealth… until the wind blows,” she muttered under her breath. The mayor loudly cleared his throat.

“Now,” he said. “Was there anything in particular you came to our city for?”

“Trading,” Lucille bluntly said.

“That’s all?”   
  
“That’s all.”

The mayor clasped his hands together, a pleasant smile on his face. He wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. “Well, we have a huge variety of stores for you to do your trading at here in Diamond City,” he then explained. “We have a lot to be proud of.”

Piper, yet again, had something to say. “Not really.”

McDonough’s pleasant facade faltered slightly. “Well,” he began, speaking over Piper. “I best be going now,” he announced. “I hope to see you around again sometime, miss.” This part was directed at Lucille, who simply forced a smile in response. The mayor began to walk away, but quickly stopped himself. He turned on his heel to face Piper.

“And you. From now on, consider you and that little sister of yours on notice.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep talking McDonough! That’s all you’re good for,” she sneered, unfaltered by his words. The mayor let out a huff at this and turned back around to leave for good.

As soon as he was completely gone, Piper faced Lucille.

“Hmm,” she mused. “A big Diamond City welcome from the mayor. You feel honored yet?” she said with a smirk.

Lucille exhaled in response, a weak laugh of sorts. She then noticed Piper staring at her weathered vault suit, the gears in her head churning.

“Hey… look, I gotta go get settled in but… uh, stop by my office later. At Publick Occurrences.” Piper glanced down at the vault suit again. “I have an idea for an article you’re perfect for,” she explained. And with a wave of her hand, Piper was gone, and Lucille was left to her own devices.

If the rest of the city was this irritating, maybe she and the rest of Recon Squad Gladius was better off starving to death, she dryly thought.

Lucille let out a sigh, watching as her breath, now visible, escaped into the cool, December air. She headed on inside. There was work to do.


	5. restless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille can't find a lead in Diamond City. Recon Squad Gladius celebrates Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i spent a while organizing this fic so a few of the chapters have been condensed. enjoy!

**CAMBRIDGE (December 13th, 2287)**

* * *

 

It was almost night-time in the Commonwealth... the sun just barely visible above the broken skyline. A cold, bitter breeze barreled down the path Lucille was walking on, chilling her to the bone. She shivered slightly, using her free hand to rub her arm. It didn’t really do much, but it seemed to comfort her anyway.

She was headed back to the police station after a brief mission at Beantown Brewery. Knight Rhys ordered her to exterminate a few of the feral ghouls residing in the area; they were becoming a nuisance over the past few weeks, immediately pouncing on anyone who crossed their path.

And Recon Squad Gladius crossed their path quite often.

It was easy enough; Rhys completely overestimated how many ferals there would be, and as a result, Lucille finished her job surprisingly early.

So she, with her laser rifle in grasp, saw no rush in heading back to the police station. She took her time, taking in the view as she walked alongside the river. Along the path there were burnt, feral ghoul remains... evidence that Lucille was there only mere hours earlier. She idly kicked the corpses aside. She really hated those things. They were completely unpredictable, lunging from the dark without notice. They clawed and screamed and howled… pitiful, terrible cries that sent a feeling of dread through her body.

She tried not to think about the humans they once were. The people she might have known… at the very least, she found relief in putting them out of their misery.

Lucille let out a sigh. She couldn’t tell if it was stress, or the cold weather leaving her uptight, but her shoulders were locked into place, rigid and firm. She couldn’t relax them, even if she tried.

It had been a hard few weeks since she first visited Diamond City. She had asked a few people about where to look for a missing person, about where to look for Shaun. There were so many strange, new faces; Lucille found it hard to trust anyone, so she remained fairly vague with her inquiries.

That was probably part of the reason why she had no leads. It was incredibly disheartening.

Was this where her story was headed? A dead end? The very thought made her feel sick. As Shaun’s guardian, the woman who fed him, changed his diapers, and took full responsibility for him since infancy… she, at the very least, wanted answers. She wanted to know what happened to him. And at this rate, she wasn’t even going to get that.

Lucille soon made it back to the police station. She entered inside, closing the large, wooden door behind her with a slam. Scribe Haylen, who was sitting at the front desk, immediately took notice of Lucille's arrival. She glanced up from her work.

“Is it cold out?” 

“You could say that,” Lucille lightly joked, walking further inside. She dropped her messenger bag on one of the metal chairs in the lobby. She then took off her scarf and draped it on top of the bag.

“You should try warming up, Garcia. Your nose is bright red.”

“Is it?” she asked. “Can’t even feel it.”

Before the two could continue their conversation, Knight Rhys walked in from the station’s side room. He seemed surprised by Lucille’s early return, his features scrunched together in confusion.

“You’re back early.”

Lucille merely stared at him. He was pointing out the obvious.

“Did you actually clear out the place?” he then asked, suspicion in his voice.

“Yes.”

“All of it?”

Lucille’s face remained blank and relatively unamused. She paused for a moment before replying. “Yes.”

“That’s quicker than normal,” Rhys went on to comment, a hint of astonishment in his voice. Lucille seemed to catch onto this, as her lips quirked up slightly.

“Slow down there,” she lightheartedly said. “You might accidentally say something nice about me one day.”

Scribe Haylen let out a snort at this, though it was obvious she was trying to remain quiet. Rhys sent a pointed glare her way before continuing his discussion with Lucille.

“Not gonna happen, rookie,” he said. “We’ll see how you do next time.”

It took a lot of effort not to roll her eyes, and to retain her professional appearance.

“Of course, Knight,” she calmly said. “Should I report to Paladin Danse now?”

“Not now,” Scribe Haylen chimed in. “He’s out in the garage finishing up repairs on his power armor.”

A moment of thought. Lucille knew there was a power armor station out in the garage, and she knew Paladin Danse left his armor there at night… but she never actually saw him working on repairs before. He must have been using some of the supplies she got from Diamond City.

“Got it,” she finally answered. Letting out a sigh, Lucille pocketed her hands and swayed slightly, debating on what to do with her free time.

“Oh, by the way… there’s some noodle cups back here,” Haylen spoke up. “And I left some hot water on the heater for you.”

Lucille nodded her head at this, smiling slightly. She was starving. “Thank you, Haylen.”

“No problem.”

Night soon fell and Recon Squad Gladius settled in for the evening. Lucille, exhausted from a long day of work, immediately passed out in her sleeping bag. Unfortunately for Lucille, her rest was not peaceful. She tossed and she turned and she found herself awake in the middle of the night. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. A full night of sleep consistently seemed to elude the woman, no matter how hard she tried.

She got up from her sleeping bag, eyes heavy, and stretched her arms. She needed to clear her head, so she decided to head up to her comfort place. The roof.

Lucille slowly crept across the wooden floor, her footsteps light and quiet as not to wake anyone up. The police station’s main lobby was dimly light by an old oil lamp. Its flame, however, was beginning to dim. It was hard to see. Lucille gently trailed her hand against the wall, her fingers tracing over the cracked foundation, desperately searching for the door.

A few moments passed, and Lucille suddenly felt a metallic knob. She gently turned it open, pulling the door back slowly.

It let out a horrible creak, one that sent a shiver up Lucille’s spine. What a horrible sensation… she took a deep breath, and quickly slipped through the doorway and up the stairs.

For whatever reason, the stairs seemed… longer. Much more lengthy and tiresome.

Moonlight slipped in through the windows' shades, illuminating the stairwell. Particles of dust fluttered throughout the air, their gentle dance now visible to the human eye. Lucille, however, paid little attention to this, and continued upwards. She had other things to do.

She soon encountered another door… presumably the entrance to the roof. However, something about its shape seemed slightly off. Lucille reached forward, but the moment her hand made contact with its knob, her sight went completely dark, leaving the woman alone and unable to make out anything in the pitch black night. It was almost as if she had been blinded.

Lucille’s heart skipped a beat, and she desperately reached for the door, wrestling with the knob, trying to get it open. It was stuck… it wouldn’t budge. She let out a shaky breath, and tried to turn the knob again, this time, with more force.

It didn’t move an inch.

Lucille turned on her heel to leave, but to her horror, she came face to face with a wall. What? That wasn’t there before. She frantically pressed the palms of her hands against its surface, its wooden texture rough against her finger tips. Where were the stairs?

She turned around once more, her heart now pounding against her chest, sweat dripping from her brow. She tried the door knob again. The door knob was gone.

Her breathing grew intense as it dawned on her that she was completely trapped.

The temperature plummeted, and the room she was in grew bitterly cold. Her arms began to shake, and it felt as though ice was slowly engulfing her body. Lucille had absolutely no idea what was happening, but she was petrified... she couldn't bring herself to try and call for help. It was hopeless. Her nose grew numb, her hands red. She was freezing.

Everything happened so fast; the wood turned to glass, her consciousness began to fade. But before she could fully disappear, she heard the metallic jingling of a pistol, of bullets being loaded.

Tears began to stroll down Lucille’s cheeks. She knew what was going to happen, but nothing could prepare her for it. Nothing could. A shockingly loud bang came from the pistol. In that moment, pure fear crept through Lucille’s bones, and she jumped, choking back a scream. The distinct clang of a casing…. a baby’s cry… 

Reality seemed to turn on its head as Lucille suddenly jolted in her sleeping bag, her heart pounding. She was back in the police station’s lobby. She could see fairly well; a dim light dangled over the desk and there was a lantern lit by the front door.

Lucille desperately reached for her Pip-Boy and checked the time. It was three in the morning.

It was just a bad nightmare.

Relief washed over her body for a brief moment. However, it soon disappeared the moment she glanced up into a pair of brown eyes.

Her heart dropped. It was Paladin Danse, eyebrows raised… almost perplexed. He was sitting at the terminal near the front door. Lucille didn’t dare say anything.

“Is everything alright, soldier?” he merely asked, his voice stern.

Lucille was entirely aware of how she must have looked. Pale face, frantic stare… all giveaway signs of a nightmare. She was mortified. The woman slowly nodded her head yes, seemingly in a daze. She didn’t want to speak because she knew her voice would falter.

She expected to be scolded, lectured, whatever…. She was a soldier. She was in no spot to act like such a mess.

However, he didn’t say anything… Lucille wasn’t quite sure if she was processing this correctly, but he almost appeared… sympathetic.

The eyes of a tired man glanced back at the the terminal in front of him. He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, almost debating what to do. Lucille could tell he seemed slightly uncomfortable, as if he had no idea how to handle this.

She couldn’t blame him.

It took a few moments to compose herself… deep breaths and all. She glanced over at her Pip-Boy again. It was getting late.

“Strange how the Commonwealth changes so much at night, isn’t it?” Paladin Danse suddenly asked, his eyes on the window beside him. The moon was barely visible between the cracks of the shades.

Lucille paused for a moment in slight confusion before catching on to what he was doing. She was relieved he had no intentions of pushing the topic. Her eyes trailed up to the window. “Yes, sir,” she merely said, trying to regain a shred of her dignity.

Danse processed his options. It was obvious Initiate Garcia wasn’t in the mood to talk: a sentiment he knew all too well. And he was almost relieved. He barely knew the woman… he had no idea what to say.

He knew what it was like to wake up in the middle of the night, walls broken down, completely exposed... though the words to describe it never came easy.

It was an odd sense of camaraderie.

His chair let out a long, loud creak as he rose up and headed towards the police station’s side room. He approached the door, but slowed down before going in.

“You should get some rest, Initiate,” he merely said… a commanding officer giving sound advice to one of his soldiers. “It’s another early morning tomorrow.”

Lucille’s face scrunched together in thought. Danse, not once, demanded an explanation or questioned what happened. He didn’t make her relive the demons that haunted her dreams; he appeared to understand what she was going through and knew not to push further.

She respected that a great deal.

Which is why she felt guilty when he turned around to head back inside. She wasn’t being honest. She wasn’t telling the truth.

“Paladin Danse,” Lucille suddenly said.

Upon hearing his name, Danse slowly turned around to face her. “Yes?” he asked, voice gruff and riddled with exhaustion.

Lucille lingered for a moment. She attempted to find a clear and concise way to get her story across. “I…” she trailed off, getting out of her sleeping bag. She kicked the covers aside with her foot and stood straight up. “I owe you an explanation. You don’t have the full story. About me.”

Danse’s face contorted slightly; he looked concerned, on edge. Just what has this woman been hiding from him? He crossed his arms. “Okay,” he said. “Continue.”

Lucille directly glanced at Danse. “Back when you first asked me if I was the only survivor from Vault 111,” she began, attempting to keep her tone formal and cool. “I said I was the only one... but, that’s not really true, sir.”

She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “At least I think,” she tacked on. “Sometime during my cryostasis, my nephew was taken by some man. Kidnapped. I have no idea how long it’s been or if he’s even alive.”

Danse was now frowning. “Is that all?”

“No, sir,” Lucille replied, her expression now grim. “No. That man. He… he also killed my husband. I was hoping to find some leads during my supply run to Diamond City. You know, to find this man and my nephew.” She glanced away, almost ashamed of what happened. “But I haven’t. That might explain my behavior lately. I thought you should know the truth.”

Odd enough, Danse was at a loss for words.

“My apologizes for your loss, soldier,” he eventually said, voice firm, yet understanding.

In either case, Lucille appreciated his condolences. It was odd hearing it come from someone who wasn’t Codsworth. Someone who could, at the very least, understand where she was coming from. Nate didn’t have the luxury of having a funeral, and Lucille didn’t have the luxury of receiving comfort from her loved ones. They were all long gone.

She never had the time to grieve, or the chance to find sympathy. She had to process everything on her own.

Lucille nodded in response to Danse, a sad, yet grateful smile on her lips. Despite looks, he wasn’t a bad guy after all. She felt a bit more confident in her decision to stay with the Brotherhood.

“I should have told you the story from the start,” she spoke up. “My apologies, sir.”

Despite everything, it felt strangely cathartic to get that off of her chest. She didn’t expect her night to go that way.

It felt like she was on a timer. Every second spent not looking for Shaun was one wasted. It was one where he was left in the hands of that…. that murderer.

And every second gone was one where the trail grew colder. It grew harder to track, to follow. Lucille didn’t want that to happen. At least now that Paladin Danse was aware of her situation, it could lead the way for more opportunities with the Brotherhood. Or so she hoped.

Danse didn’t respond to Lucille’s apology directly.

“We can discuss this further in the morning,” he finally said, idly glancing down at Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys. “When we’re more focused.”

Lucille, drained from what had just happened, nodded her head. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

And with a nod of his head, Paladin Danse slipped back into the station’s side room to continue his work. She heard movement from the other side of the door. He wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon.

Lucille sighed. That was a relatable feeling.

 

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (December 25th, 2287)**

* * *

 

“The whole city was decorated,” Lucille explained, leaning back in her wooden chair. “Lights all over the place.”

After a long day of work, it was finally Christmas night in the Commonwealth. Recon Squad Gladius didn’t have much to do in the way of duties, so the four of them found themselves in one of the station’s side rooms at an old, wooden table.

A bunch of playing cards were strewn across its surface; they were obviously in the middle of a game. Knight Rhys leaned forward to collect the cards, and neatly shuffled them back into a full deck. A cigarette was gripped between his teeth, its smoke creating a faint fog in the room. It was only made visible by an old light dangling from the ceiling.

Diamond City Radio played in the background from Danse’s radio, now sitting on the wooden table. Lucille could barely make out Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ coming out of its tinny speakers.

As for Paladin Danse himself, he made sure the perimeter was secured and that Haylen’s spotlights were ready to go before he even _thought_ about letting his guard down. If there was any unusual movement near their barricade, their sensors would detect it… which was crucial if there was another incoming attack.

It left him on edge, and it took a bit of convincing from Haylen to actually get him to relax for more than a minute.

“That’s interesting," Danse merely replied.

Lucille nodded her head at this. She had visited Diamond City earlier in the day for a quick supply run. "Didn’t think anyone cared enough to decorate anymore.”

“Honestly, I almost forgot it was Christmas,” Rhys spoke up. “It’s a stupid holiday anyway.”

“It is a bit of a nuisance,” Danse chimed in. “But an ultimately harmless tradition.”

Haylen glanced over at Lucille with a knowing look, wordlessly asking ‘can you believe what I have to deal with?’

“You two must be fun at parties,” she then quipped. 

Rhys scoffed and began to deal the cards in his hand. For the past thirty minutes, they had been playing a few rounds of poker. Lucille never really liked bottle caps as currency; it was a bizarre choice to her… not ideal in the slightest. However, even she had to admit, it lent itself very, very well to poker. She placed a few of her caps in the center of the table.

“Hey, Garcia,” Haylen suddenly said, stacking her cards. “What was Christmas like? You know, before the war.”

Lucille didn’t expect to hear that question, and she really didn’t feel like answering it. She paused to think of a suitable answer. Knight Rhys and Paladin Danse glanced over at her, curious as well.

“Expensive,” she eventually said, half joking. “You had to buy everyone a gift.”

“Ah,” Haylen replied, not quite expecting that response.

“Actually, that reminds me...” Lucille slowly rose out of her chair and walked over to her messenger bag near the door. “The bar had these for sale. Figured we could share.”

“Share what, Initiate?” Danse cautiously asked.

“Don’t worry. I paid for it myself, sir,” Lucille quickly corrected herself, kneeling on the floor. She dug through her bag and soon pulled out a small box of Fancy Lad Snack Cakes. The pink box was lifted over her head to show everyone.

“Snack cakes?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah. Only fifteen caps, too,” Lucille said, almost proud of herself. “And it’s unopened.”

Standing up, she gently tossed the box onto the wooden table. It ended up near Haylen, who then picked it up, inspecting it.

“Thank you, Garcia,” she said with a smile.

Lucille shrugged. She figured alcohol of any kind wouldn’t go over too well, so she chose against that and bought something else. “No problem. Merry Christmas,” she said with a lighthearted tone.

Haylen handed the box over to Danse, an odd, almost knowing look on her face. He took the box and placed it on the table.

“Yes, thank you, Initiate,” he added on, quite formally.

Lucille nodded her head in response, smiling, and sat back down at the table; there was poker to play.

A few minutes into the game, the box of snack cakes was finally opened. Danse took one out of the box and wordlessly passed the rest over to Rhys, who then continued to send it around the table.

The rest of the evening was surprisingly calm… and fun, even. For the first time in months, Lucille finally relaxed for a bit. It felt foreign. For a little while, she forgot about the very real problems breathing down her neck. And that was okay. She needed this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! : )


	6. the woman out of time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille grows desperate in her search for Shaun, and seeks out help from Piper Wright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update! i've been busy with finals. now that they're over, i get to write more :,D thank you for reading!

**DIAMOND CITY (December 27th, 2287)**

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you’re here again,” Myrna furiously rambled, pointing a finger at Lucille. “I don’t serve synths! Get away from my store before I call security!”

Lucille, who had to hold herself back from starting a fight with this woman, took a long, deep breath. She had managed to successfully trade with the other merchants in Diamond City... However, for whatever reason, Myrna seemed adamant in believing the vault dweller was a synth. She refused to do business with her.

And at that point in time, with what she had seen and heard about synths in the Commonwealth, Lucille was pretty insulted. She wasn’t a killer robot. She wasn’t there to replace people. She was _human_.

Myrna refusing her services was throwing a serious wrench in her plans.

“I’ve told you this twenty times. I’m. Not. A. Synth,” Lucille said, slowly dragging her words out for emphasis.

“Aha!” Myrna’s eyes widened. “Only a synth would know that!”

“Know what?” she asked, exasperated.

“That this happened twenty times. Don’t think I’m letting my guard down for one minute!”

Lucille rolled her eyes and began to pack up, angrily flinging her bag over her shoulder. It was obvious she wasn’t going to listen to reason.

“Don’t give me sass, synth! Don’t make me tell you twice!” Myrna then threatened, pointing a finger towards Diamond City’s exit. “Now go!”

After strapping on her backpack, it took all of Lucille’s willpower not to say anything in return, or to even glare at her. She simply continued along her way, stewing in anger.... that was, until she ran into Piper Wright.

“Hey!” the reporter exclaimed. “You! In the blue!”

Well. That was her. Maybe Rhys was right. Maybe the jumpsuit really did make her a walking target. She grumbled, slowing down to talk to Piper. The two met by Publick Occurrences.

“I still want that interview, you know,” Piper said. She placed her hands on her hips. “It’ll be quick, I promise.”

Lucille, who was still in a bad mood from her conversation with Myrna, dryly glanced over at Piper. “And I’ll make it even quicker for you with a headline: ‘Local woman says no.’”

“Gonna be like that, huh?” Piper almost chucked at this. “Smart ass.”

“I have a job to finish,” Lucille tried to explain. “I don’t have time to be…”

“Look,” Piper quickly said, cutting her off. “I know you’ve been, uh… asking around town for something. Someone. If you just do this interview for me, I might be able to help.”

A moment of silence passed over the two. Lucille merely looked Piper over, staring at the reporter with suspicion and concern. How the hell did she find out?

“Where did you...”

“Word spreads around town quick.” Piper shrugged. “Trust me. It’ll be worth it.”

Lucille wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, she had no desire to be interviewed. On the other hand, if the interview got too personal, she could always back out.

However, even she had to admit, it was a deal she’d have to consider; Piper was the only one to offer her actual, genuine help in Diamond City. Everyone else had watched her in hushed tones, quietly brushing her questions away. Kidnappings were apparently common in the Commonwealth, and nobody wanted to talk about them. However, Piper… Piper did. Lucille found herself admiring that, even if the woman was a bit... loud for her tastes.

With a sigh, Lucile merely nodded her head, agreeing to the interview. She was running out of opportunities, and after all, it was never wise to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Really?” Piper asked, shocked Lucille actually agreed to this. “Okay, then… come on in.”

With a smile, Piper opened the door to her house, gesturing for Lucille to head on inside. A cold breeze blew in with them, and Piper swiftly shut the door behind them before it could get worse.

“Brr…” She said, mostly to herself. “It’s freezing out.” Piper took off her coat and hung it behind the front door.

Lucille pulled her hands out of her jacket and rubbed them together, idly glancing around. It was a cute little place. There was a couch, a kitchen, and a flight of stairs leading to a bedroom area. The house was small…. very small, but there was a certain kind of charm to it.

Especially since she expected it to be much, much worse. That is, if Diamond City’s grimy streets were anything to go by.

“I can make us some coffee if you want, Blue.”

After placing her backpack on the floor, Lucille wordlessly sat down on the couch, not really sure if she heard Piper right. Did she call her Blue? Or was she just exhausted and hearing things?

“Coffee sounds nice,” she finally replied, choosing to ignore the odd nickname. She must have misheard the woman. She was exhausted, after all. “Thanks.”

After Piper finished pouring them each a cup coffee (she apparently had a pot brewed from earlier that morning), she sat down across from Lucille, placing their mugs on the table.

“Alright, Blue,” she said, seemingly chipper. “Let’s get started.”  
  
“Why do you keep calling me that?” Lucille asked.

Piper almost laughed at this. “Isn’t it obvious?” No response. “No…?” Still no response. She exhaled. “Look. You’re a vault dweller.” She leaned forward in her chair, almost as if telling Lucille a secret. “The vault suit’s a dead giveaway.”

Lucille held back the urge to sigh. She could see Rhys’ snide smirk from a mile away.

“But,” Piper quickly said. “We’ll get to that in a minute.”

She began to dig through her messenger bag and pulled out a small, worn down notebook. “So here’s the deal. I want an interview. Your life story in print.” She flipped through the notebook, looking for a blank page she could write on. “No holding back. I think it’s time Diamond City had a little outside perspective on the Commonwealth.”

Lucille leaned back in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. “You’re in for a ride then,” she said.

“Really?” Piper smiled. “Guess I better buckle in,” she lightly joked.

Her pen clicked, ready to write. “Now… let’s get started. Alright. First question.” A pause. “I know you’re from a vault. How would you describe your time on the inside…”

The interview went on without a hitch. Lucille had told her tale once before, to Paladin Danse, so telling it again wasn’t too difficult. The truth is, she was starting to feel a bit detached from her own life; everything that had happened to her in such a short amount of time… it was almost insane. It was hard to believe it was actually her.

However, this time she withheld specific details, and remained as vague as she could. After all, it was an interview. She didn’t want to spill everything. As far as Piper knew, she was a soldier. She was frozen in Vault 111. And she was the only survivor. The world Piper knew was… so much different than the one Lucille knew. 

And Lucille did a good job of describing that difference; it was the whole point of Piper’s interview after all. However, Piper could tell there was something more… something that kept her moving.

She wanted to know about the mysterious person Lucille was asking around town about, so she pushed a bit further.

“So tell me,” Piper said. “Who are you looking for? You haven’t mentioned them yet.”

“Someone important to me.” Lucille briefly glanced down at her Pip-Boy before looking back up at Piper. “That’s all.”

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.”

“Will this be in your newspaper?” Lucille asked, eyebrow raised.

“Well, yes, but…"

This was exactly why Lucille refused to divulge personal information in the first place; she didn’t want it spread around town. She didn’t want to become a target. The woman was growing desperate for help, yes, but that didn’t mean she was willing to tell Piper everything she knew. She just wanted to work through her problems discreetly.

She didn’t have time for this. Lucille was still grieving the loss of her husband, the loss of her whole entire life. It only felt like months ago that she became Shaun’s guardian. It only felt like months ago she would stay up, late into the night, riddled with anxiety.

But that was two hundred years ago, wasn’t it? It didn’t really feel like that, though. It felt like a dream. The moment she stepped foot outside of that vault, it was almost as if she had teleported to some other planet. Like Dorothy in Oz, Lucille found herself clad in blue, trapped in a world she never knew.

However, unlike Oz, the Commonwealth was far from pleasant. And there were no ruby slippers to take her home.

Lucille almost wanted to go off on Piper. To vent. She never got to talk about any of this at the police station, for obvious reasons. However, she knew that wouldn’t be fair to Piper, so she calmly answered instead.

“You said if I did this interview… which I am, that you’d be able to help me. I don’t want my personal info out there for the taking. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

Unfortunately for Lucille, she didn’t sound as calm as she envisioned. Her voice sounded cold, angry.

“Oh… Okay,” Piper said, catching onto this. “If you don’t want me to, I won’t publish any personal information.”

Lucille didn’t say anything, but only stared at her incredulously.

“Look, I can’t help you without any names,” the reporter said. “If we’re gonna look into this missing person, I need a name or two. But.. if it’s something you don’t want in the paper, then it won't be in the paper. No names, nothing. I promise.” Piper’s voice sounded genuine.

After a moment of thought, the vault dweller finally let out a sigh, signifying her agreement. There was no arguing with that. She nodded her head.

“Thank you,” Lucille merely muttered.

“Now…” Piper slowly continued, a little uneasy. “Who are you looking for?”

Lucille swallowed hardly. “My nephew. Shaun,” she forced herself to say. “He was kidnapped in the vault.”

Piper wasn’t expecting that. “What?”

“He… I’m his guardian. We went in the vault together,” Lucille explained. “At some point, some guy took him. That’s how my husband died… trying to protect him.”

“Oh…” Piper’s expression dropped. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shaun’s the only family I have left,” Lucille said after a moment, a bit desperately. “You see why I need your help now?”

“This… is a lot,” Piper said, staring down at her notebook. She let out a huff, giving herself a moment to process everything. “Missing family. Sad as it’s always been.”

Lucille remained wordless, clearly in agreement.

“Uh..  okay. Okay. One final question, then...” Piper took a deep breath. “What would you said to anyone who lost someone, and gave up hope?”

Lucille glanced at the ground.

Well, she _was_ close to giving up hope. Shaun had been in the hands of that murderer for… god knows how long. If she were being completely honest, he was probably dead. Her search was probably for nothing.

But, the thing that kept her going was the truth.

Even if she was too late, and even if there was nothing to salvage… she wanted to know what happened to her nephew.

“Hope and truth are like, two completely different things,” Lucille eventually said. She leaned forward in her chair. “Even if all hope is gone, the truth is still out there. And… I really think it’s worth looking for. You… you can’t change what happened. But, having that tiny bit of closure can really make all the difference.”

Piper seemed impressed by this.

She wordlessly wrote down Lucille’s response, making sure to copy everything correctly. After a moment, she closed the notebook shut. The interview was officially over.

“Alright, thank you for that." A pause. "And… look, about your nephew,” Piper said, broaching the subject. She tapped her notebook with her pen. “I didn’t know if you were on the up-and-up before… didn’t want to waste my friend’s time, but I think he can help you.”

“Your friend?” Lucille asked.

“Yeah. His name’s Nick Valentine, detective extraordinaire,” she explained.

“.... Detective extraordinaire?”

“Yup. Got an office right here in Diamond City. You can’t miss it. Big neon sign with the heart in it.”

Lucille had actually seen that sign once or twice before, out of the corner of her eye; she had assumed it was a brothel. Why nobody told her about this detective agency was beyond her. What were they trying to hide?

But… a detective. A detective could easily help her find Shaun.

Lucille slowly got up from the couch, brushing off her bomber jacket. She felt motivated to go. “You think he’s still in?”

“I think he’s been busy,” Piper honestly said. “I haven’t heard from him in a week… you should let me introduce you, though. Maybe he’ll make an exception.”

“I… thank you, Miss Wright,” Lucille said, her words sincere.

“No problem.” A smile. “Now let’s get going.”

For the first time in weeks, Lucille felt as though things were finally going her way.

“By the way,” the reporter added. “You can just call me Piper.”  
  
“Got it.”

  
**VALENTINE DETECTIVE AGENCY (December 27th, 2287)**

* * *

  

“Nicky’s missing?” Piper asked. Her eyebrows drew together in concern. “What has he gotten himself into this time?”

His secretary let out a hefty sigh. She didn’t answer, and instead placed a box of his belongings down on the desk behind her. It hit the surface with a jarring boom. Lucille could see Piper flinch out of the corner of her eye.

“Nick was working a case,” she then finally said. “Skinny Malone's gang had kidnapped a young woman, and he tracked them down to their hideout in Park Street Station.”

“Isn’t that down by the old vault?” Piper seemed almost perplexed. “Nick of all people should know not to…”

“I know. I told him he was walking into a trap.” The woman then sadly chuckled, shaking her head. “But, he just smiled and walked out the door like he always does."

Lucille felt crushed. This man was her only lead. What would she do now?

“Geez, Ellie…” Piper quietly said. “Why didn’t you tell anyone sooner? It’s been over a week.”

“You know how useful security is,” she dryly replied. “No one bats an eye.”

“Well, yeah.” Piper crossed her arms. “I didn’t mean them. I meant me. Or Nat.”

“Excuse me,” Lucille finally cut in. Ellie and Piper immediately grew quiet upon hearing her speak for the first time that conversation. “How far away is the vault?”

Piper gave her an eager look, curious to where she was going with this. Lucille decided to ignore her for the time being, and focused her attention on Nick’s secretary.

Ellie’s face scrunched together in thought. “I’d say about… thirty minutes.”

That didn’t sound too bad. Lucille almost felt confident she could make the trip.

“But,” Ellie tacked on. “There are bunch of mutants on the way there. Not to mention, if you get past that, there’s Skinny Malone’s gang to deal with. Could take a lot longer than just thirty minutes.”

And... there went her confidence. She knew there was a catch. If she took all of that information into consideration, it would take her a whole day to find the detective. If she survived.

“We’ll find him,” Piper said, determined.

“There’s no way I can go,” Lucille sheepishly muttered, mostly to Piper. “Not right now.”

“What?”

“I’d need permission.”

“From who?” she asked, almost dumbfounded.

“No, it’s okay. I understand,” Ellie cut in. “I can't blame you. Not like I could charge across the Commonwealth and find Nick without getting myself killed.”

“Ellie…” Piper tried to say.

“Look, I gotta pack up. Just go.” The woman glanced down at the box in front of her, eyes dim. It was clear she wasn’t willing to talk anymore.

A brief moment passed before Lucille and Piper left the agency. As the two women went out the door, they were greeted by the bitter cold December air. The reporter shot her a confused, almost disappointed look. Lucille let out a shaky sigh and pocketed her hands.

“Look, I get you don’t personally know Nick, but he’s your only lead,” Piper fiercely whispered to the vault dweller. “I’m trying to help you out here. No Nick? No nephew.”

“I know.” Lucille sighed. “Just let me explain.”

“Explain what? Who you need permission from?” she incredulously asked.

“Yeah, actually.”

Piper almost scoffed at this, and merely gestured for Lucille to continue.

“You know I come to Diamond City for supply runs. I report back to someone.” Lucille considered how to briefly explain her situation. “Kinda need to let them know if I’m going to disappear for a day or two.”

“Who?” Piper asked.

“The soldiers down at Cambridge,” she answered. “The Brotherhood of Steel. I’m an Initiate.” That felt foreign to say aloud to someone.

Piper seemed to consider this for a brief moment. She had heard about them, but they were all the way up north, and she rarely, if ever, made the trip there. Not to mention, those soldiers really weren’t much of a concern to Piper. At least, for the time being.

“So…”

“So, I just need to ask my commanding officer for the all clear,” Lucille elaborated. She paused. Knowing Danse, it was very likely he wouldn’t allow it. “And… uh, hopefully he does.”

Piper’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Okay,” she said. “Look, let me know what your… boss says. I can’t head up there alone. If we’re doing this, we’re doing this together, alright?”

“Yeah. It’s a plan,” Lucille said. “I don’t want to go alone either.”

Piper put her hands on her hips. “When will you know by?”

“Tomorrow, probably. I have to come back here anyway. Arturo has a new shipment of ammo coming in.”

She nodded her head at this. “Alright, then it’s settled. Drop by my place tomorrow, okay?”

“Got it.”

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (December 27th, 2287)**

* * *

  

“I can’t permit that.”

Paladin Danse's answer was as clear as day. Lucille couldn’t say she was surprised, but it was still disappointing. She lingered on her words for a moment, searching for something to say.

“I completely understand, sir,” she began. “But, if you don’t… mind me asking. Why not?”

Paladin Danse’s face remained stoic. He merely rested his hands behind his back before continuing.

“You have other duties to attend to here.” Lucille knew what he meant by that. More sweeps, clearings, and supply runs. She withheld the urge to sigh. “It would be irresponsible to abandon them for an unsubstantiated lead.”

Scribe Haylen watched the conversation from afar, sitting in an old, wooden chair behind the front desk. She felt bad for Initiate Garcia. She knew about her nephew, and about his kidnapping. It broke her heart just thinking about it.

Danse could be cold at times, sure, but he could also be understanding. Haylen would quickly jump in if it meant helping Garcia find her nephew. So, she waited and observed.

“But, it’s the only lead I have,” Lucille finally said, growing a bit desperate. “Please, if this detective really is in danger, he could be killed. And then…”

“Soldier,” Danse sternly said, cutting her off.  “I acknowledge why this might be troublesome for you, but disappearing for days on end to run around the Commonwealth, all because of some... flimsy lead, is not only impulsive, but dangerous.”

Lucille uneasily glanced away as he spoke.

“That’s not even touching upon your responsibilities as a Brotherhood soldier.”

“I completely understand, sir,” Lucille repeated. And it was true. She did understand where he was coming from. But, she was also desperate to give this opportunity of hers a chance. “I do. But, please. Can I request that you hear me out? I think I have an idea we can both agree on.”

In the few months that he knew her, Initiate Garcia had done nothing to abuse his trust. Not yet. And if anything, she had been overwhelmingly honest about her circumstances. Danse eyed her suspiciously before continuing. “Go on.”

Lucille didn’t expect to get that far. She briefly thought about what she was going to say.

“Oh, uh…” she trailed off. “Alright, so… think of it this way. This detective is apparently well known in Diamond City. Well liked."

“... Okay,” Danse eventually said, pondering over this for a moment.

"If I rescue him, think of all the positive press the Brotherhood could get. We could even get discounted trading prices, if we’re lucky.”

“And what about your duties?”

“I’ll handle them.” Lucille paused. “I’ll make sure everything I have to do is done.”

“And you feel confident in you abilities to handle this?”

Lucille nodded her head. “Yes, sir.”

Paladin Danse didn’t seem thrilled, that was for sure. The only reason he was even entertaining this was because of Garcia's good track record. He still thought the idea was pointlessly risky. Back-up was scheduled to arrive soon, and they only had four soldiers, so extending their resources into this lead was foolish. However, she did make a few good points. Not to mention, she was a pre-war soldier. She could hold her own in unfamiliar territory.

And… while he would never admit it aloud, if this could save the life of a young child, it would be an admirable effort, regardless of the risk it presented.

“I’ll allow you this leave of absence,” he finally said. “On one condition. You continue to fulfill your assigned duties. Is that clear?”

Lucille brightened up considerably, her lips quirking up into a relieved grin. “Really?” This slipped out. She immediately corrected herself. “I, uh… yes, sir. Thank you.”


	7. developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille searches for Nick Valentine in the hopes of finding Shaun's kidnapper. Recon Squad Gladius' backup finally arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! so sorry for the long wait. i had pretty bad writer's block trying to get past most of this main plot stuff. thank you for reading and hope you enjoy! :, )

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (December 28th, 2287)**

* * *

 

It was nearly two in the morning at the police station, and odd enough, everyone but Lucille was asleep. Normally someone else was up... Paladin Danse fiddling around with his laser rifle, or Scribe Haylen organizing her supplies. But this time, Lucille was alone. She merely sat wide awake on her sleeping bag, with only the cold, winter night to accompany her.

Lucille insistently played with the gold wedding band around her finger. Spinning it, and spinning it, and spinning it...

She hated having time to think. She really did. It gave her mind the opportunity to wander, and whenever it wandered, it always led back to one person: Nate.

Words couldn’t describe how much she missed him. Lucille grew desperate for his company… for his comfort and advice. His sweet, smiling face. His dumb jokes… and his warm, burning heart.

Nate brought her down to earth. His words were always well thought out… understanding and empathetic, always able to look past the surface and dig a little bit deeper.

Lucille let out a shaky sigh.

What she would do for his advice now… Everything would be so much easier with two instead of one. It felt like each day she was taking on the impossible. Breaking past bounds and surviving despite the odds.

Lucille quietly leaned over for her messenger bag. She flipped her Pip-Boy’s light on, and began to dig through her stuff. Water, some ammo, a few stimpaks… but she eventually came across a small holotape. The one Codsworth gave her.

She got up from her sleeping bag and headed upstairs, to the police station’s roof.

She sniffed, brushing her fingertips against the holotape’s ribbed surface. She then inserted the tape into her Pip-Boy. Soft static filled the stairwell as she headed up.

“Oops… haha, no… little fingers away…” The sound of Nate’s voice stung. She could feel a tear roll down her cheek. “There we go… just say it. Right there. Go ahead…”

 

**VAULT 114 (December 28th, 2287)**

* * *

 

Lucille’s arm brushed against the vault’s cool, metallic walls. She peeked her head out into the hallway; two of Skinny Malone’s men were on guard.

She had seen numerous feral ghouls before, but this was her first time seeing ones who… who seemed sane. Aware. They reminded her of soldiers who had been horribly disfigured on the front lines… burn victims doomed to be gawked at for the rest of their lives for something out of their control.

But instead of burns, it seemed as though their skin just… melted off. It made her a bit nauseous; she was thankful she didn’t have to interact with them up close.

Scribe Haylen had mentioned the existence of these sane ghouls… so Lucille knew about them. It was just incredibly odd that this was her first encounter with one. They apparently didn’t live in Diamond City, so she never had the chance. Lucille didn’t have much more time to think about that though. She leaned back towards Piper.

“Two of them,” she whispered. “We can take them on.”

The reporter simply nodded her head in response. The two guards were facing the opposite way, so a surprise ambush was perfectly feasible.

Lucille leapt out from behind the wall and swiftly cracked her laser rifle against the one guard’s head. He dropped to the floor, unconscious. It was almost immediate.

Before the other guard could react, he soon came face to face with the barrel of Piper’s pistol.

“We’re just trying to pass through,” she told him. “Doesn’t have to end like this.”

The guard merely chuckled… a gross, congested kind of laugh. “That’s cute. You really think that tiny little thing’s gonna do somethin’, sweetheart?”

Piper could see Lucille approach the guard from behind, a knowing look in her eye. She needed to continue distracting him… just a little bit longer.

“Well, it’s gonna do something if you don’t drop that gun,” she bluffed, her pistol still fixated on his face.

“What? This ol’ thing?” he asked, glancing down at his submachine gun. “I’m sorry. I don’t think so.”

The second his finger moved for the trigger, Lucille bashed her rifle into the crown of his skull. He let out a long, pitiful howl, turning around to see what the hell happened. Before he could even say anything, Lucille retaliated again, this time whacking him right in the face.

He dropped his submachine gun, and Piper kicked it off to the side, out of his reach.

“Sorry, gotta go,” she said, a forced smile on her lips. She and Lucille then swiftly made their leave, jogging down the hall and out of view.

The guard merely grasped at his head, hissing in pain. He couldn’t reach for his gun and retaliate, so the two women managed to make their escape unscathed.

Lucille and Piper continued their trek throughout the vault. Luckily for them, it seemed as though they arrived at a good time; not too many guards were on duty. Most were able to be talked down, snuck past, or knocked out… which was a relief for Lucille.

She didn’t want to kill anyone she didn't have to.

They almost got lost a few times. The vault was enormous… so much different than Vault 111. There were times where Lucille didn’t know right from left. Each wall, each hallway looked identical. For a brief, fleeting moment, Lucille was almost thankful she never spent much time in Vault 111. Well, spent too much time conscious, that is.

After a few minutes of walking, Lucille and Piper finally came across an opening…. a large walkway positioned above the vault’s main lobby. At the end of the walkway was a locked up door, leading to a room with only a window to look through. One of Skinny Malone’s men was turned towards it, talking to someone.

Piper leaned towards Lucille, her voice low. “That might be Nick,” she whispered. “Who else would be in there?”

Lucille thought about this. Even if it wasn’t Nick, it was worth helping someone who was locked away, right?

“Okay,” she said. “What’s the plan?”

“I think we can sneak up on him...” Piper leaned forward a bit to get a better view of the scene. She paused, her eyes widening slightly. “Wait, Blue. Quiet for a sec.”

Lucille didn’t respond. Instead, she listened. Skinny Malone’s guard was now arguing with whoever was on the other side.

“Don't give me that crap, Valentine. You know nothin'. You got nothing.”

A muffled voice came from behind the wall. “Really? I saw him writing your name down in that black book of his... lousy cheating card shark I think were his exact words. Then he struck the name across three times.”

Lucille could feel Piper nudge her arm. That was definitely the detective. They’d have to make their move soon.

“Three strikes? In the black book?” the guard asked. A pause. “But… but, I never…”

He frantically glanced around the area; it appeared as though he completely took the detective’s bait. Lucille could feel herself smirk. What a clever tactic.

“Shit. I gotta smooth this over. Fast.” The guard glanced back over at the window. “You stay put in there, Valentine. I’ll be right back.”

And just like that, the guard ran off… presumably to wherever Skinny Malone was. He left the detective's prison completely unsupervised. Lucille glanced over at Piper, a sinister grin on her lips. What an unexpected boon.

The two quickly made their way over to the detective. It seemed as though the door was locked by a terminal. Lucille’s face paled. She was terrible with terminals.

“Hey!” Piper fiercely whispered. She tapped against the window of his room. “Nick!”

Nick Valentine seemed to immediately recognize her voice. “Piper? Is that really you?”

“Yes!” she quickly confirmed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. But, we got three minutes before ole' muscles-for-brains comes back….” he trailed off. “There's no lock on my end. You gotta hack that terminal.”

Lucille knew complaining wouldn’t do anything but waste their time, so she merely ran up to the terminal and attempted to log in.

Even before the war, Lucille was terrible with machines. Software was most definitely… not her strong suit. It was all foreign to her, so she always admired those who had a knack for that kind of thing.

After entering in failed attempt after failed attempt, Lucille let out a sigh of frustration and took a moment to think.

Piper approached the window, placing her hand against the glass. “Nick, think you could help us out a bit here?”

“You know I’d love to, but I can’t,” Nick then replied. “I can barely see out of this room, let alone at a whole terminal.”

Piper let out a huff at this, but seemed to understand. She glanced over at Lucille briefly before turning back to Nick. “Hold on tight, we’ll get you out.”

“Now, I can try and talk you two through it, but…”

Lucille was growing antsy from the short amount of time she had left. She immediately backed away from the terminal, grabbed the laser rifle off her back, and fired a shot at the door’s lock.

A thundering boom came from her laser rifle, and echoed against the vault’s metallic walls.

“Jesus, Blue!”

“Or, you could just do that,” Nick simply remarked, amused.

“Haven’t you ever heard of being subtle?” Piper asked, eyes wide open.

The door’s handle soon disintegrated right off; it became nothing more than a pile of glowing red dust. Another slam. Lucille kicked the door in with her foot, pushing it open. Faint smoke from the ashes on the floor began to sift throughout the air.

“Not when we’re short on time,” Lucille finally said to Piper, heading inside. “Now come on, let’s…”

The woman stopped right in her tracks. She almost fired a stray shot at the detective, completely on impulse.

“Gotta love the irony of the reverse damsel-in-distress scenario,” Nick said. Lucille felt her heart drop. He was a synth. Completely made out of circuits, wire, and steel. “Question is, why did our heroine risk life and limb for an old private eye?”

Nick Valentine reached down into his pocket, and pried out a small box of cigarettes with his old, rusted hand.

Lucille was petrified. She remained eerily quiet as she watched him light a match -- she had no idea why he would even want to smoke. He was a machine. He had no lungs.

He tossed the extinguished match aside and took a long drag of his cigarette, awaiting a response from Lucille.

That response never came. She continued to gawk at him like some cheap sideshow attraction.

Lucille couldn’t help herself. “You…” she trailed off, grasping her laser rifle close. “You’re a…”

Upon hearing that, Nick Valentine let out a lengthy sigh… almost as if he’d heard it all a million times. “Told you. I'm a detective,” he insisted. “Look, I know the skin and the metal parts ain't comforting, but it's not important right now.”

Lucille waited for him to continue, suspicious and high strung.

“The only thing that matters is why you went to all this trouble to cut me loose.”

Piper quickly stepped in and responded for her.

“Uh… This is Lucille Garcia. We don’t know what happened to her nephew,” she said, nudging the woman’s arm… anything to get her to snap out of it. “So, she came with me to find you….” A pause. “Ellie told us where you were.”

“Ellie, huh? Remind me to give her a raise when I get back….” he trailed off.

Piper let out a sigh. “Nicky, what happened to you? How long have you been in here?”

Nick seemed to ponder this for a moment. “I’ve been cooped up in here for a week or two.”

“Seriously?” Piper gasped.

“Yeah… Turns out the runaway daughter I came here to find wasn't kidnapped. She's Skinny Malone's new flame,” Nick remarked, considering his words. He almost chuckled at this. “And... she's got a mean streak.”

Lucille’s head was still spinning, her thoughts miles away from the current conversation. The detective wasn’t even one of those human-like synths. He was completely mechanical. She had no idea what to make of this. Why did he act so… real then? Why was he different?

She breathed in deeply. Were there others like him? Or was he bound to flip a switch and attack? Just like every other synth? She could recall the sensation of being cornered by those things, their blue lasers flying right past her head. The grip on her laser rifle grew tighter.

“Jeez, Nick... “ Piper only said, holding a hand to her head. “That’s crazy.”

The detective tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. He glanced around before speaking.

“Anyway, you got troubles, and I'm glad to help.” This bit was directed at Lucille. She snapped out of her thoughts. “But now ain't the time. Let's blow this joint. We’ll talk more then.”

And just like that, Nick Valentine made his way out of the room and through the rest of the vault, Piper hot on his trail. Lucille stood still for a brief moment before following after them. She immediately regretted her decision to come rescue him. How on earth could she trust this… synth to find her son?

Was he working for this Institute she kept hearing about? Or was he just playing an act? It was perplexing to her, and would have to be something she remained cautious about.

 

**DIAMOND CITY (December 31st, 2287)**

* * *

 

After bringing Nick Valentine back to Diamond City, the two of them got right to work on Lucille’s missing person case.

She sat down in his office and told him everything that happened in the hopes that he could find a lead. So that he could find, quite literally, _anything._

She was still… noticeably uneasy about working with him, however. His whole entire existence confused her. How could a machine that bled coolant act so much like a human? Had technology progressed that much in the time she was out? Or was it something else?

Paladin Danse, Knight Rhys, Scribe Haylen… they all spoke of how dangerous synths were. Everyone in Diamond City, everyone she met… all of them sang the exact, same tune. Hell, even Lucille’s own experiences with synths lead her to believe the same thing. She was constantly being shot at by them. They were hostile on sight. They were dangerous to encounter, and dangerous to fight.

In the end, however, Lucille decided to write Nick off as a… temporary exception. He didn’t shoot at her. He wasn’t hostile on sight, nor was he dangerous.

That, and Piper seemed to trust him. Which… knowing the type of woman she was, really said a lot.

However, if Nick made one wrong move, if he pulled a gun out on her, or anything, Lucille would not hesitate to retaliate and shoot him dead on sight.

And hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. Not when they were so close. After working further on her case, Nick Valentine found a possible lead in a man named Conrad Kellogg. He fit Lucille’s description to a tee: a mercenary with a long, ragged scar over his eye… white, bald, and seemingly middle aged. He was seen in Diamond City a few weeks ago with a young boy.

After digging through the house he stayed in, Lucille and Nick found a damning clue: an open pack of San Francisco Sunlights, a brand of cigar normally found out west… definitely not in Boston. If they could track its scent, then it would most certainly lead them to Kellogg.

And fortunately enough, Nick knew a guy who could track the scent for them.

....Well, maybe ‘guy’ wasn’t the right word.

“This is your friend?” Lucille only asked, glancing down at the German Shepherd in front of her. “He’s a bit...” she trailed off. “Furrier than I imagined.”

“That's right. Dogmeat’s a genuine Commonwealth mutt. He can track a man's scent for miles,” Nick replied, a grin forming on his lips. “Doesn't really have an owner, but he's always ready to help out when he's needed.”

“Uh...” Lucille said, unsure what to do.

“Just show him the cigar. He'll pick up the trail.”

Lucille incredulously glanced at the detective for a moment longer before crouching down in front of Dogmeat. It took all of her strength not to dissolve into a puddle of mush petting this dog. She gently scratched his head with one hand, and held out Kellogg’s cigar with the other.

“Hi, cutie pie,” Lucille sweetly said. “Let’s hope Valentine’s right about you.”

Dogmeat sniffed the cigar in Lucille’s hand and immediately perked up. He turned around and began to trot down the metal walkway they were on. He had a trail.

 

**FORT HAGEN (December 31st, 2287)**

* * *

 

“Give me your pistol, Valentine,” Lucille said, her voice frighteningly still. An arm was extended out to him.

“What are you…” he trailed off.

“Please.” Her rage was near close to boiling over; her patience could only last so long.

Nick Valentine slowly handed her the old, rusted .44 pistol from his belt. Lucille’s fingers curled over the weapon, her hand forming a tight grip on its handle. She didn’t want to waste precious fusion cells on Kellogg. She didn’t want to grant him the time to talk. To breath. He never gave the chance to Nate, so why would she give the chance to him?

Her arm rose up, slowly aiming the pistol right at Kellogg.

Lucille had dreamed of this moment for months. Finding the man who killed her husband in cold blood and confronting him, face to face. Sometimes she pictured herself asking Kellogg why… asking him why Nate had to die, and why he wanted Shaun. So much was left unanswered, and it drove her insane. She just wanted to know what happened.

But sometimes, she pictured herself blinded by grief and rage, firing lead right into Kellogg’s skull, over and over, without a word being said. Lucille had thought about this, had methodically gone over every single scenario in her head so many times, and yet… now that it was happening, she was at a loss for words. She could feel her arm lock into place, her finger frozen on the trigger.

She knew the best course of action would be to ask for information. Kellogg was her only lead; he was the only one who knew where Shaun was. It was logical.

And yet, all Lucille wanted to do was defy logic…. just for a minute. To let her emotions take a hold. To get that release. How badly she wanted to open fire right then and there, and to scream and cry and grieve over just how unfair life had been to her.

Kellogg robbed her of nearly everything, and she wanted to see justice delivered.

And yet, wouldn’t killing Kellogg, without a word being said, just be the same thing? She drew closer to the man, her pistol’s sights now aimed right down his forehead. It was almost a shame Lucille couldn’t see she was renewing the very cycle she detested.

“It doesn’t have to be like this, you know,” Kellogg merely said, raising his hands in mock defense. “You could just… walk away. Not too many people can say that.”

“I’m only gonna ask this once,” Lucille snapped, the gun shaking in her hand. “What happened to Shaun?”

Kellogg merely chuckled at this, sending a flare of rage throughout Lucille’s body.

“Ah, Shaun. Your nephew, right?” he casually asked, almost as if there wasn’t a gun pointed at his head. “He’s a good kid. Maybe a little bit older than you expected, but I’m guessing you figured that out by now.”

Lucille’s heart skipped a beat. Did… did that mean Shaun was still alive?

“Interesting situation you had going on, by the way. What happened to his parents?”

Lucille refused to answer him. Her thoughts were running at a mile a minute, still processing the fact that Shaun was still alive. He was still _breathing_. But... but where was he? Was he there, at the fort? Or was he somewhere else? She had no idea.

“Did they die? Or were they just so bad at their job that you had to, uh… step on in? Happens more often than you might think.”

She narrowed her eyes in response to this, completely unamused by Kellogg’s idea of small talk.

“Not the talkative type, huh?” he asked. “Got it.”

“Just get to the point,” Lucille lowly replied. “Tell me what’s going on, and why the hell you know all of this, or I pull the trigger.”

She so desperately wished she could wipe that smirk off his face.

“Kellogg, I swear to God--”

“Listen, I actually kinda like you, so I’m gonna keep this brief,” he said, cutting her off. “You’re missing a huge part of this story. Your nephew isn’t here.”

“Then where is he?” Lucille pressed.

“He’s with the people pulling the strings…” He almost laughed at this, irritatingly cryptic. “And I’m just a puppet. Like you.” He thought this over. “My stage is a little bit bigger. That’s all. Other than that, I’d say we have quite a bit in common.”

“Just tell me where he is, damn it!”

“Alright. Fine,” Kellogg said. He lingered over his words for a brief moment, swaying from side to side. “He’s safe at home…. in the Institute.”

Nick could see Lucille’s arm twitch at this. Aside from Shaun being dead, this was probably their worst case scenario. With no way in… and with Kellogg as their only source of information, things were looking incredibly dim. His dreaded what was yet to come.

“You’re lying,” Lucille said, grasping at straws.

“I’m not. I delivered him there myself… just like I was told,” Kellogg said, reaching behind his back for something. Lucille immediately picked up on this; he was unholstering his pistol. He let out a long, lengthy sigh. “Now look, I think we both know how this is going to end,” he continued.

She adjusted her grip on Nick’s gun.

“Sorry, lady. I got no other choice.”

He moved like lightning. Without a moment more to think, Kellogg immediately fired off his pistol. A deafening boom echoed relentlessly against the fort’s old, concrete walls. Lucille dodged his shot; the bullet grazed her cheek and spiraled right into the terminal behind her.

Glass flew from its monitor, shattering on the floor.

Nick immediately leapt forward in attempt to do something, anything. But before he could, a frighteningly large bang came from the old, rusted pistol in Lucille’s grasp. Kellogg wasn’t even given a moment more to react; the fight was over before it even really began. Thick, red blood spewed from his skull, splattering all over Lucille’s face.

And in that moment, it felt deserved. It felt right. Lucille exhaled deeply, catching her breath. Justice was delivered.

So she fired again.

And again. And again. And again.

It got to the point of absurdity. Nick Valentine immediately ran up to her and grabbed her arm, forcefully lowering it.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “Snap out of it!”

Lucille dropped the gun to the floor, her hand shaking with adrenaline and rage. The woman then ripped her arm free from Nick and approached the warm puddle of blood and flesh on the floor.

Pieces of metal stuck out like a sore thumb… they appeared to be cybernetic enhancements of some sort. Pieces of Institute technology used to make the man a power house. Lucille almost sneered at the sight; he was barely human.

Nick exhaled deeply, clearly shaken by what happened moments prior. He wasn’t quite sure what to say, so he just gave Lucille a moment to herself.

An uncomfortable amount of time passed between the two. Lucille quietly stared down at Kellogg’s remains, her gaze unwavering.

A small, orange holotape stuck out of his pocket in stark contrast to the blood staining the floor. She gingerly bent down to pick it up, wiping some of the blood off with her bomber jacket.

“You find something?” Nick finally spoke up, walking over to Lucille.

She wordlessly held the holotape up to him. She then placed it into her Pip-Boy.

The only thing that came up on her screen was a password. Lucille glanced around the room and immediately took note of what seemed to be a terminal. It was completely clean; its bright white monitor appeared to have been brand new.

Which was strange. Where did Kellogg get such a thing? She could feel her heart sink. Was it actually from the Institute?

Lucille walked over to the terminal and typed in the password that glowed on her Pip-Boy. It took a minute to load, but she soon had access to Kellogg’s files. There was… a whole list of entries. She clicked on the latest one. It was a report.

She scrolled further down and immediately froze upon coming across the name ‘Shaun’. Upon further reading, it was painfully obvious that Kellogg worked for the Institute, and that he had brought Shaun back there, as per orders. He wasn’t lying.

Nick was busy reading this over her shoulder. Lucille remained dangerously still.

“So, Kellogg wasn’t giving us any bull. Your nephew really is on the inside,” he murmured, scratching his chin. He slowly backed away from the screen and sighed. “Even I don’t know where the Institute is.” A pause. “And they built me.”

Lucille turned around to look at him.

“You don’t know _anything_ , Valentine?” she asked, her tone accusatory. “I find that a little hard to believe.”

His eyebrows furrowed at this. All he did was merely gesture to himself. “Look at me. I’m trash,” he said, irritatedly swinging his arms downward. “They threw me in the junk pile ages ago. Just another discarded prototype…. didn’t exactly leave me the house keys.”

“I just, you...” Lucille trailed off, tripping over her words.  “You really have no way in?” she asked.

“No, I don’t. But believe me, I wish I did right about now,” he then explained.

Lucille remained silent, distraught at how the whole entire situation panned out.

Nick let out a lengthy sigh. “We’re in the weeds here. It’s time to take a step back. Bring in some fresh eyes…. and the only person I know willing to snoop up the Institute’s tail feathers is Piper. I say we head her way. Talk this through.”

Lucille didn’t really seem to process what he said. The only thing she knew was that she completely soiled everything; Kellogg was their only lead and she shot him in the head.

If she had talked him out of fighting, maybe she could have gotten some answers out of him. And then maybe their case wouldn’t have met a dead end. With Shaun in the Institute, and with no idea where the Institute even was… it seemed hopeless.

Even Valentine, a Gen 2 synth, had no way of getting in. He apparently had no memories of his time there whatsoever.

“It’s over…” she only muttered, her voice quiet. “I’ve lost him.”

Nick’s expression fell at this. “Look, I know it feels like a shot in the heart, but this case isn’t closed. Not while I’m on it.”

“Valentine, our only lead is dead, and I…” Lucille tried to say.  
  
“So we’ll find a new lead,” he firmly replied. “And we’ll head on back to Diamond City and talk to Piper a bit. Regroup. Think things over. But, mark my words. It’s not over.”

Lucille remained quiet.

“Hey, chin up. I know the night just got darker, but it won’t last forever.”

 

**CAMBRIDGE POLICE STATION (January 1st, 2288)**

* * *

 

It was a bit past midnight at the police station, the air cold and the sky dark. Paladin Danse was seated at the terminal in front of the main lobby, typing up a storm. It was a report for Elder Maxson… most notably, it was a report regarding Initiate Garcia’s place in the Brotherhood.

The woman was a natural soldier, no doubt about that. She had every making to be a valuable asset to the Brotherhood, a sister in arms to fight side by side with. He had seen it in her at ArcJet Systems. Her shots were always right on target. She followed orders without question, already knew crucial terminology, and was skilled in combat.

Initiate Garcia, in the short time he had known her, displayed immense determination, honesty, and respect; all traits he believed were invaluable to the Brotherhood.

In all truth, Danse should have realized she was a soldier to begin with; it was written all over her. In how she spoke, in how she acted. Even though she was in a noticeably weakened state, famished and exhausted from her time in the wasteland, she still proved her worth.

Initiate Garcia, as a pre-war soldier, had witnessed first hand what dangerous, unchecked technology could bring.... and working to prevent that from happening again was what the Brotherhood stood for.

Danse leaned back in his chair, glancing over what he had written. It would be foolish of Elder Maxson not to give Initiate Garcia a chance. While she was far from perfect, and barely had any experience fighting wasteland creatures, with a little bit of direction, he felt that could be quickly rectified. Giving her the rank of Initiate was a high risk, high reward gamble he was willing to take.

He reached his hands out to continue typing, but was soon distracted by the police station’s front door opening, and closing, with a slam. A gust of cold air blew in, and Knight Rhys sprinted up the stairs, obviously in a stir.

“Paladin Danse!” he exclaimed, turning around the corner.

Danse’s back immediately straightened. Were they being attacked?

“What is it?” he asked in return, voice stern.

“Outside, sir! Quick!”

Danse leapt out of the chair and reached for his laser rifle, which was leaning right against a nearby wall. He didn’t have time to jump into his power armor; that was out in the garage. Time wasn’t a luxury they had, and…

“Danse! The Prydwen!” Haylen suddenly exclaimed, opening the door from the stairwell. She seemed out of breath, probably from running. “They sent the Prydwen!”

And just like that, Danse could feel his shoulders relax, a wave of relief washing over his body. On any other day, he would have been irritated with Rhys’ lack of information; he probably would have scolded him for the false alarm. However, he was too shocked for that. Backup had finally arrived, and apparently, they were bringing the big guns.

“Are you certain, Haylen?”

“Yes, sir. Go look!”

The three of them immediately ran outside, eager to get a glimpse of their back up. Of their salvation. Just above them, in complete contrast to the dark, night sky, was the Prydwen… with bright lights shining from her metal hull in an utterly stunning display for all of the Commonwealth to see.

Vertibirds dispatched from from their stations, flying right beside the Prydwen as one.

And in that moment, Danse felt relief and happiness. But most of all, he felt pride. He was proud of the Prydwen, and of what it represented. If Elder Maxson decided to bring the Prydwen in, well, then that meant there was more work to be done in the Commonwealth. And after what he had seen, Danse couldn’t agree more.

Rhys and Haylen were talking to themselves, thrilled that they had survived their recon mission, and thrilled that there would soon be relief. Paladin Danse cleared his throat, getting their attention.

“Scribe Haylen,” he merely said, voice confident… rejuvenated, even. “Fire up the radio. We need to make contact with Initiate Garcia, immediately.”

 

**FORT HAGEN (January 1st, 2288)**

* * *

 

Lucille and Nick stood on the fort’s roof, staring up at the huge, metal behemoth in the sky.

This… this backup wasn’t mere backup. Backup wasn’t a whole entire army of soldiers arriving in a warship.

The Brotherhood claimed to come in peace, but Lucille wasn’t dumb. She knew what this meant. This meant war. Her heart plummeted at the mere thought of it. War. Again… but why?

Yet again, she was being pulled into a conflict she wanted nothing to do with. The fighting this would all entail. The death, the injuries… she didn’t want to think about it. She was suddenly reminded of the day she was drafted. All of those years ago.

A warm, sunny day in the spring of 2070, back when she was still going to school.

 

Lucille was twenty three when she got the news. She had just gotten back from class when she checked her mail, and opened a letter from the U.S. Military.

In hindsight, she should have expected it. The only members of her family left were her mother and her younger sister, one too old and one only in high school. Lucille was the adult. She was youthful, and she was able. That is... she was able to hold a gun, able to be pitted into a war with a country she didn’t even want to fight in the first place.

It was unfair. So unfair.

She came home from school a few days later. She had to pack up her things and take a leave. The military didn’t have to tell her twice; she was to arrive at a certain date for training. It felt like a cruel, twisted dream she couldn’t wake up from.

Her mother, Marisol, was the first to see her when she arrived home…. eyes tired and mournful. She wanted this no more than Lucille did. She had to live with the reality that her child was going to war, and that not only would she not come back the same, but she might not come back at all.

“Hi,” Lucille merely said, entering the house. She grew up in that house. It held fond memories, and immediately put her at ease. She was safe there.

“Welcome home, sweetie pie,” Marisol said, taking one of her daughter’s bags. She briefly smooched her cheek. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Bad.” Lucille’s voice cracked. It was evident that she had been suppressing her feelings on this matter for a while.  “Really bad.”

Her mother didn’t immediately answer. She took the rest of Lucille’s bags and placed them aside in the living room.

Lucille sniffed, her face now blotched red. Her voice was as quiet as a mouse. “It’s… it’s so unfair, mom.”

“I know,” Marisol replied, walking back over to Lucille. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I know…”

Lucille, just like a child, tightly hugged her mother and began to sob. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want any of this. Within the span of a few hours, everything she had going for her was gone. Her scholarships, her internships, all completely…. utterly gone. All of those hours she spent slaving over her piano, repeating measure after measure just to make sure everything sounded right.

It was all for nothing.

The plans she had set for her future were just suddenly taken away, all without her having a say in the matter. All without her doing anything wrong. Lucille was being punished for something completely out of her control.

She didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to fight another man’s war. She choked back a sob. She didn’t want to die.

“I don’t wanna go,” she muttered into her mother’s arms, afraid. A loud sniff. “Please don’t make me go.”

“You know there’s nothing I can do, sweetheart,” Marisol quietly said, rocking her back and forth. “I wish there was, but there isn’t.”

The young woman continued to sob. She felt so small, so helpless. There was nothing she, nor her mother, could do but cry. So they did.

 

Watching the Prydwen fly away... she could feel her past sorrows resurface. The woman who cried into her mother’s arms almost felt like a stranger. Lucille felt sympathy for her.

“You alright, kid?” Nick Valentine asked. “You’re… you’re kinda leaving me hanging here.”

Oh. He had been talking to her.

She let out a dry laugh. “Guess it depends on what you call ‘alright’...” A pause. “Sorry. I was just distracted by that blimp.... I… I guess that’s my backup.”

“I guess so,” he slowly agreed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next updates should hopefully be more consistent, especially since i get to actually work with danse more with the prydwen arriving and all. thank you so much for reading! : )


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